My Guardian Angel
by Rage42
Summary: Though sometimes you don't mind me and mostly you don't care, if you ever need me, you know I'll be there. When you have problems and trials that are hard to fight, I will stop my world to make you feel alright. HG/DM
1. Prologue

A/N: I'm a very indecisive person! I apologize… It's just that I wasn't satisfied with the first version of this story. Anyway… here goes…

Oh and sorry I took so long! I was just so busy (as in BUSY) with schoolwork that I had no time to write this! 

DISCLAIMER: I would love to go back in time and steal all the ideas of JK Rowling. But sadly I can't. 

P.S. The words in bold & italic are what are happening now, and the ones in italic only are what had happened just a while ago. Got it?

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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Orders are orders. There is nothing to understand. – The lamplighter, The Little Prince

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He slammed the door shut, his eyes wide with fear. 

He had seen his father on the ground, lifeless and dead. His mother was standing in front of him, and she had stared at the body. Her tears had fallen freely, and she dropped her wand. 

"Draco," she had whispered hoarsely. "W-what did I do…?"

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Draco closed his eyes tightly and sank to the floor, tears now forming in his eyes. "Noo…"

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He heard his mother come up the stairs and knock at his door. "Draco?" she said timidly, choking through her tears. "Are you here?"

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He did not answer. 

"I had to do it, Draco… I had to…"

He covered his ears with his hands, trying not to listen. However, he failed. 

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"I just had to do it… I know that you, of all people, can't understand… but you have to…"

"GO AWAY!" Draco shouted, cold tears now streaming down his face. 

He buried his face in his arms and cried. 

His father was now dead.

His mother was already traumatized. 

What now would happen to him?

He raised his head and stared at his surroundings, ashen-faced and pale. It was dark and lonely. 

His family was gone. 

He was alone.

He had no one… nothing.

For the first time in his life, he was scared and vulnerable. 

He had no idea what to do.

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A/N: Hope it was much better than the last one! And I've decided to use the 3rd POV! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Review!!

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	2. The Beautiful Girl

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A/N: Yeah… er… sorry the prologue wasn't that nice. Anyway, I decided to write the first chapter together with the prologue because if I don't, it might cause confusion. Anyway, I hope that after you read my story, you review! So… here goes!

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, of course. 

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

BY RAGE

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CHAPTER ONE: _BEAUTIFUL GIRL _

"A dream is a wish your heart makes…" Disney's Cinderella

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The girl smiled sweetly. "It's going to be alright," she said softly. "I'm here beside you."

Draco gazed into her eyes. They showed concern and care swirling between the pools of gold and brown and it had a calming effect on him. 

"There's still hope in this world for you," she continued, "that's why… you cannot despair."

She opened her arms welcomingly and gave him a warm and loving embrace. Draco returned it wholeheartedly, knowing that it would be a long time before he could receive another one. 

"Can you stay here forever…?" he asked weakly, feeling warm tears roll down his cheeks. 

"Yes…" she whispered, "I can… I will… I'll be here beside you…"

~

Draco woke up with a start. He jolted up, gasping for breath. His bangs cascaded over his eyes, and he brushed them away impatiently. 

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"I'll be here beside you…" He remembered the girl in his dream… mysterious and beautiful. He then became aware that his eyes were moist; he had cried in his dream. 

Draco smiled slightly. For a brief moment, he had felt bliss and happiness… and it was just in a dream. How he wished that it wasn't, though. He had felt sadness and loneliness ever since that night, and it was only this time that he had felt true joy. 

He yawned and straightened up, deciding to take a bath to get ready for the day.

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"Six fifteen in the morning," the magical clock wheezed lazily. 

Draco was already fully dressed in his school uniform. He was in the Slytherin Common Room, and he was the only one awake. 

He sighed, and then decided to take a morning stroll in the castle. 

~

"Where are you going?" The portrait of an old codger grunted to him. "The sun hasn't even risen yet, lad!"

"Exercising." Draco replied quietly. 

"Well, be careful, lad, or you'll be caught!" the portrait laughed, coughing afterwards. 

"Yes, sir." 

Draco turned around the corner, his hands in his pocket. It was a brisk, chilly morning, and the sun had just started rising. It was still dark in the halls of Hogwarts, only lit by the torches.

Draco yawned and entertained himself by thinking of the girl. He sighed dreamily, as he remembered her vivid brown eyes and how her voice sounded melodic and beautiful. 

He was thinking so deeply that he didn't realize that he bumped into someone. 

"Aah!" he heard the other person exclaim. 

"Oof!" he said, falling to the ground. 

"I'm _so_ sorry!" she said frantically. "I was just in a hurry and—"

Draco rubbed his temples and opened his eyes, still dazed. However, he could make out who the person was.

It was Hermione Granger. 

"What are you doing this early in the morning, Malfoy?" she said, giving him a glare. 

"Er…" Draco found that he couldn't answer her. He was too distracted by her eyes…

Those eyes were familiar to him, but he didn't know where he saw them…

Her eyes were brown with a golden tinge in them… bright, alert and beautiful.

"Ferret-boy! Hello?" Hermione was already waving her hand in front of his face. 

Draco woke up from his trance. "What? Oh— nothing. Goodbye." 

He stood up and ran, not glancing back at Hermione.

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A/N: Good? Bad? I don't really care just as long as you review! Flames are very welcome!! 

To one of my reviewers: they are sixth years here. 

Anyway, hope you liked my story!

I command all of you to review!! Anyway, see ya!

PS. I'm very sorry that it took so long!! It's just that it's the week before exams and we're loaded with tests, projects, etc. I had three to five projects due on one day! Anyway, I will upload next Friday or Saturday, March 21 or 22!


	3. An Acquaintance

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Author's Note: Hello there! I appreciate all of the reviews you've all given me! I love you all! Anyway, here's chapter two!**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, but if I did, I would be rolling on money!! Ha ha! I'm so **greedy**!!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER TWO: _AN ACQUAINTANCE_

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"Please pray for one of your schoolmates who has lost both his parents this previous summer." 

There was a moment of silence. Everyone in the Great Hall had closed their eyes and had uttered a silent prayer. Hermione, right after saying hers, opened her eyes and looked around. 

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Who could it be? She asked herself, observing everyone closely. Most of the students were still muttering silent words for the person, as well as the teachers. _It could be anyone, anyone at all! I don't mean to be nosy, but—_

She looked at Draco Malfoy. He was staring at his food, his face blank and expressionless. 

Hermione blinked. _What the—_she thought angrily. _How INDIFFERENT could that ferret get?_

Though she didn't know who the person was, as a human being, she felt sorry for the person. Hermione wanted to go over to him and strangle him to death. 

And that was what she almost did. Subconciously, she felt herself get ready to stand up and stroll over to the Slytherin table. Her fists were clenched with anger, and she was ready to pummel Malfoy to the other world. 

However, she noticed something different with him. He didn't have that usual glint of malice in his eyes, and he wasn't wearing his famous smirk. "Weird…" Hermione muttered, narrowing her eyes. 

"What are you saying?" 

Hermione turned around and faced her best friends. "What? Oh—nothing, I was just… er… talking to myself."

"Okaayy…" Ron said, his eyebrow raised. "You should get yourself checked, Hermione."

"Who do you think the person is?" Harry whispered, leaning in closer to the two. 

Ron shrugged. "I dunno… but I pity that kid."

"What do you think, Hermione?" Harry asked. 

However, Hermione wasn't listening. She was gazing at Draco intently, as if trying to figure out a problem.

And she got a solution. _It's him…_

~ 

"Malfoy and Granger!" 

Hermione looked up. She glanced at Draco, who was walking towards her. She gulped and looked down at the plant in front of her. 

They were in Herbology, and Professor Sprout had paired each one with someone from the opposite House. The Gryffindors weren't with the Hufflepuffs anymore; their course schedule was changed since they were now in sixth year.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked quietly. 

Hermione turned to him. "Weren't you listening to what Professor Sprout had said?"

He shook his head.

"We're supposed to prune them." She said irritably. She grabbed her shears and handed it to Draco. "Here."

She took an extra pair and started on the plant. Draco, watching her for a while, began as well.

~

They worked in silence at first. Every now and then, Draco would ask if what he was doing was correct and Hermione would answer yes. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Malfoy."

He grunted in reply as he continued working on the plant.

Hermione put her shears down. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"What happened last summer?"

"It's none of your business."

Hermione put her hand on his arm. "It's you… isn't it?" she said sympathetically. "You're the student who lost his parents…"

Draco stopped pruning. He turned to her angrily. "Why do you even care?"

"Because I want the old Draco Malfoy back and… I feel sorry for you."

"What?" he exclaimed. "I _don't_ need your pity."

Hermione glared at him. "Yes you do. And I want the ferret boy that I once knew who was a sneering, smirking, annoying and unbelievably arrogant prat. But don't use the word _care_. Because I don't _CARE_ about _you_, got it? I just feel _sorry_."

"Well, _don't_ feel sorry for me." 

He turned to the plant and began pruning once again. Hermione looked at him, feeling very stupid. _Of course,_ she thought. _This IS Draco Malfoy. He'll never let his pride down, even when he's already alone…_

With that, she picked her shears up and started working on the plant.

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A/N: Finally! I'm done with my exams and I've got enough time to write this fanfic! Plus, it's just graduation practice next week! Yes, I'm graduating! I'm starting high school next schoolyear! 

Anyway…

Yes, about the story. You might think that Hermione's totally into Draco, but she's not. Well, _not yet. _She just thinks that Draco's acting a bit too weirdly lately and she has a hunch that something happened to him last summer and being a very kind person, she feels sorry for him. 

Anyway, I hope you all liked my story, and I'm sure you _all_ did. That's why you have to _REVIEW_!! 

See ya!


	4. Pride Let Down

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A/N: Hello there! Here's chapter three!

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter unfortunately… only the plot. :(

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER THREE: _PRIDE LET DOWN_

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Draco marched off to the castle grumpily. How excruciating it was to have a Gryffindor… a _Mudblood_… and worse… his archenemy's best friend to pity him! It offended him deeply for he was never pitied of before, and he wasn't going to be pitied now.

He reached the dungeons and proceeded to the Slytherin Common Room. "Death-eater," he said to the stone wall. Instantly, a door slid open and he went in. Upon entering, he looked around the room. Everything was green, even the flames in the fireplace. A few people were present; some seventh years, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini were seated on the leather couches. 

He straightened up and walked towards the stairs going down to his dormitory. However, his path was blocked. He looked up. "Get out of my way, Blaise." 

Blaise, ignoring what Draco said, smirked. "Already sleepy, Malfoy?"

"I _want_ to go to the dormitory. Is it against the law?" Draco said bitterly. 

"Are you going to cry over your mum going crazy and your dad being dead?" Blaise said smugly, crossing his arms. 

Draco chose not to answer and pushed him to the side. "Good night."

"You'd better get acquainted with Potter. Isn't he an orphan too?" Blaise called out to him, laughing afterwards.

Draco clenched his fists and went down hurriedly to avoid hitting him. When he reached his four-poster bed, he dropped his bag. He felt cold tears running down his cheeks and he dropped to the floor. He buried his face in his arms and started sobbing. 

He was alone in the world… no one cared about him… no one was concerned… He felt so weak and just wanted to die. Why was this happening to him? He wasn't supposed to cry and be vulnerable. He was taught to be strong… to be cold.

However, he couldn't do it. He wanted someone to lean on, someone to comfort him. He wanted someone… anyone to do that for him. 

At that moment, he wished that the girl in his dreams were real. 

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"Malfoy?"

He looked up from his homework. "What do you want, Granger?" he asked impatiently.

Hermione bit her lip before answering. "Er… I just want to apologize for yesterday."

Draco blinked. Was Hermione apologizing for pitying him? 

She continued. "I know I shouldn't've given you sympathy because I know you don't need it. But I can't help it! I'm only human and you know… it's just normal for a person to pity someone."

Draco looked down. _It''s just normal for a person to pity someone…_ He analyzed what she had just said. And he realized that she was right. 

"You're forgiven." He said shortly. 

"Thanks." She smiled. "Well… I'd better go now. Harry and Ron might look for me."

Draco nodded. "See you." 

Hermione adjusted her bag strap and prepared to leave. However, before leaving, she placed her hand on his shoulder. Draco looked at her weirdly. 

"If you need a friend, you know where to find me." She smiled kindly and left. 

Draco was left stunned. One of the persons he least expected was extending a hand of friendship to him. He blinked and looked down. 

Was he going to accept her offer? 

He sighed heavily and drummed his fingers on the table, not knowing what to do.

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A/N: Was that okay? I hope it was! I'm so inspired to write! Anyway… I command all of you to review, got it? If you don't, I'll hunt you down and strangle you!! Muwahahaha!!

P.S. I'm just joking! 


	5. Tears in your Comfort

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A/N: Hey there! Wow… I got like more than five reviews for my other chapters! I'm thankful that I received a reply from some of my readers! But I hoped that everyone who read my story _actually_ reviewed. Anyway…

I'm sorry if I really took so long! I was confined in the hospital for at least five days and I was operated on! Aack! But at least now, I'm home and fine…

Thank you to:

avi

DazzilinAngel555

Sweet Sorrow

Dreaming One

Christina

Mione-n-Draco4ever

Sky*angeli

Cassandra

Delila-malfoy: Yeah… I'll try to make the chapters longer!

Blue Snowflake: Yeah… but you'd have to admit, you can't make a decent Draco-Hermione fic without making them ooc…

Deimos

Moi

Kid Majere

Caroline

So… here's chapter Four!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER FOUR: _TEARS IN YOUR COMFORT_

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"Get lost, Granger."

Draco gave her a deadly glare and stood up. "I don't _need_ your pity, or your _friendship_."

Hermione staggered and blinked in disbelief. "What? But—"

"You heard me, Granger. I don't need _anything_ from a _Mudblood_." Draco grabbed his bag and prepared to leave. "Good _day_."

Hermione gaped at his retreating figure. Before he could leave the room, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Fine then," she snapped, "I guess I was stupid to actually offer you my friendship, Malfoy." With that, she slung her bag on her shoulder and strolled out of the other door. 

Draco looked back, and realized that Hermione had already left. Somehow, a part of him suddenly felt vulnerable. Once again, he was alone. He wanted to catch up to Hermione and apologize and spill everything to her, because for a brief moment in his life, someone genuinely and truly cared for him. 

However, the old Malfoy in him controlled his mind. He held his head up high, his confidence and pride getting the better of him. 

"I don't need anyone." He muttered bitterly. He started walking to the other side of the hall, and before he could turn around the corner, he stopped and looked back. 

"I _don't_ need anyone in the world. Only _me_."

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""Join us, boy… join us."

"Yes, Draco, do you want to be happy…?"

"Come with us and you will be happier than before…"

"NO!"

Draco backed away in fear. His parents were visiting him in his dream… not the girl… He looked at his parents… they were looming over him like ghosts… they were covered in blood and they had an insane and crazy look in their eyes…

"Please… leave me alone…" Draco moaned, walking backwards. "Please!"

"Come with us!"

"No… I'm… happy here… people care… for me here…"

"No they don't… we know that… you… know that."

"No… I'm happy…happy…"

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Rain was pouring outside. The sky was dark gray and the wind was blowing harshly. It was a Saturday, and most of the students were inside their Common Rooms, in the library, or in the Great Hall eating. However, one student was an exception.

Draco stood on the shores of the lake, his head down. His hair was no longer slicked back finely; his bangs were covering his face and his hair was dripping wet. His clothes were soaked but he didn't seem to care. He looked at the lake, his face expressionless.

"This is the only way I can be happy…" he whispered softly to the wind. He looked back at the castle. "I'm alone in the world… alone…"

He bit his lip and turned to the now dangerous waters of the deep lake. "It's the only way…"

Draco took one step and felt the cold water. He shivered, but took one more step. "Goodbye…" he muttered. He smiled slightly and closed his eyes. He plunged into the water, not bothering to swim. Not less than ten minutes, he was unconscious. 

However, before he fell into the darkness, he heard someone's voice.

"DRACO!!"

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A/N: Finally, it's done!! Now, one remedy for me to recover quickly is to review review REVIEW!! So, if you want my wound to heal and the next chapter, you know what to do!! Press the button below! 

Anyway, see ya! 


	6. It's Okay to Cry

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A/N: Hello to all of my readers and reviewers!! Thank you to all of you… my wound healed slightly… he he…

I apologize if my chapters are too short and my author's notes are **so** long… I'll try to make it the other way around. But this chapter I guarantee you is short. It's _supposed_ to be short.

Anyway, here's chapter five!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER FIVE: _IT'S OKAY TO CRY_

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Hermione looked at the sleeping Draco. He was unconscious at the moment, and he was feverish as well. Hermione was beside him, sitting on an armchair with her arms crossed. She had just come from the Gryffindor Tower to change her clothes because she was dripping wet from head to toe. 

"What teenagers do today!" Madam Pomfrey uttered in an annoyed way, scurrying into the room. "Battling dragons, swimming in the lake, drowning on purpose! What's next?"

Hermione looked up and smiled. "Hello, Madam Pomfrey."

The nurse gave her a smile and turned to her patient. She took a thermometer from her medicine tray and stuck it in Draco's mouth. "Thank goodness you were there, Miss Granger, or else he might have had a more serious case than this!" she said, checking Draco's pulse. "So, what happened, may I ask?"

Hermione gulped. Didn't she already tell Madam Pomfrey what happened? She was pacing back and forth in the Entrance Hall, waiting for Ron and Harry, when suddenly, she saw a figure outside in the rain. She ran to the window to get a closer look and realized that it was a student. Instantly, as an instinct, she ran outside in the rain to warn the person not to get close to the lake because it was dangerous at the moment. However, she stopped when she realized it was Draco Malfoy. She watched him for a while until he dropped into the water. Finally, she ran, calling out his name. She went into the water and saved him.

However, that wasn't what Hermione said. "Er…he—I… just saw him at the foot of the stairs in the Entrance Hall," she lied. She didn't want the nurse to worry, right?

"Really? Strange boy…" Madam Pomfrey said. She stared at Draco before turning to Hermione. "Now, go on. You can visit him tomorrow, when he's awake already!"

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"Bye, Hermione!" Ron said, waving. "We'll see you later after practice!"

"See you, Hermione!" Harry called to her from the door exiting the Great Hall. 

Hermione smiled, and watched her two best friends leave for Quidditch Practice. When they disappeared, she finished her breakfast and walked out as well. She was going to visit the Hospital Wing to see if Draco was already awake. She didn't know why she was actually worried about him, but strangely, she was. 

She entered the door to the Hospital Wing and looked around. Finally, she spotted Draco. She plopped on the seat beside his bed and looked at him. "Good morning."

Draco, however, didn't return her happy greeting. He was holding a bowl of cereal in his hand, but he wasn't eating. Hermione stood up and waved her hand in front of him. "Feeling dizzy?" she asked lightly, grinning. But he still didn't answer. 

Hermione sighed heavily and sat down. She looked up at him soberly. "Dr—Malfoy?"

"What?"

Hermione hesitated to continue. However, she asked timidly, "Why did you try to drown yourself?" 

Draco looked at her. "Were you there?"

She nodded. 

He blinked and stared back at his cereal. "I can't tell you."

"But—"

"I can't tell you."

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Draco looked out of the window. It was nighttime and rain had come once again. There were no stars and no moon; only dark clouds swirling around as the rain fell to the ground. Draco sat on the windowsill, one leg up with his arm resting on his knee. He was just released by Madam Pomfrey that day, and he decided not to go down directly to the Slytherin Dungeons. He just wanted to clear up his mind and think of nothing… he wanted to be alone.

And he _was _alone in the hall. Only the statues accompanied him, as well as a few portraits… 

"I'll be alone until I die…" he murmured hopelessly, leaning his head. He closed his eyes when he felt them sting. 

"No, you won't." 

Draco half-opened his eyes and scowled. He knew that voice all too well. "What do you want this time, Granger?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Hermione was wearing her prefect badge and her wand was in her hand; obviously, she was doing her night patrol. "Want someone to be beside you?" she offered. 

"No." Draco stared at her and looked back outside. "Haven't I told you to leave me alone?"

She didn't answer. She stuck her wand inside her robes and sat down beside him. The window was big enough for two sixteen-year old students to fit in. Draco blinked and looked at her. "What _are_ you doing?"

She shrugged in reply. "I'm staying, _obviously_," she answered, "I'm done with my duties anyway."

Draco grunted, signaling her to leave. One-fourth of him wanted her to go away, then the other three-fourths wanted her to stay. He shook his head and looked out in the rain.

There was a moment of silence. Hermione was twiddling with her thumbs and Draco just continued staring out into space. Finally, he spoke.

"Do you think dreams come true?" he said quietly. 

Hermione glanced at him. "Well… I guess so…" she replied, unsure of what she was saying. "But you can, well… never be sure. Why?"

Draco was reluctant to answer. However, no one ever listened to him until now… so he decided not to waste this opportunity. "It's… because… I'm never alone in my dreams."

"What do you mean?" 

"I have a friend… my only friend there. She's my only friend." He said, smiling slightly. "And… I never feel anything except… real happiness."

Hermione blinked. "Don't you feel happy in reality?"

"No."

Another moment of silence. Draco looked at her and Hermione smiled sympathetically. 

"Someday, you'll meet that person. I'm sure you will."

Draco bit his lip. "You think so?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

There was a clap of thunder and lightning raided the sky. 

"She wasn't there last night." 

"What?"

"My mother and father came. They haunted my dreams." 

"Dr—Malfoy…" Hermione reached out her hand to him. 

Tears started to form in his eyes. "They were… they were—"

He stopped. Hermione was hugging him tightly, comforting him and giving him warmth. "Don't tell me," She whispered softly. "It's okay to cry."

Draco swallowed and the tears slid down his cheeks. Here was his arch nemesis' best friend, the person whom he had insulted throughout the past five years, and she was the one who was staying beside him. She was the one holding him, comforting him, even if he was her enemy. She was telling him that it was okay, that it was allowed for him to cry…

Draco bit his lip and he stayed in Hermione's arms. The rain started to pour harder, the wind thrashed against the castle…

And for the first time in his life, Draco cried.

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A/N: Now, it's not as in the **first** time he cried, I mean it was the first time he cried in front of someone. I know it's kinda mushy and **_very_** O.O.C. (out of character), but the story'd be boring if it was not. 

Anyway, REVIEW! Flames are indeed very welcome!! I need to get at least 35-40 reviews or more!! He he! But even if I don't get as much, I will still continue! But I want to know your opinion so that I can make my story much better! So, go on and review!! 

Thanks!

PS. THANKS TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS AND READERS!


	7. A New Friend

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A/N: Hey there! It's Rage speaking! First of all, I'd like to tell you what I did today! First, I went to school and sat down the whole time observing the practice, then at exactly 10:00 am, we went to the hospital for a check-up! You should see my wound—it's quite… interesting… is that the right word? Anyway…

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THANK YOU TO:

DazzilinAngel555: I'll try not to hasten the fluff…

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Christina

Pampers

Dark Comet

beckie13: You're very welcome! 

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Deimos

delila-malfoy

elisa-gurl

girl-named-Belle

LP Draconis

Marisa

Aniiston

DracoHerm143: Yeah… eh he… it's not original, though…

And the other reviewers and readers!

I personally think that Chapter Five (the previous chapter) was my best one, that's why I'm grateful that you all reviewed!

Anyway, here's chapter Six!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

BY Rage

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CHAPTER SIX: _A NEW FRIEND_

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Robins were chirping when Draco woke up the next day. He opened his eyes blearily and, when he met the sun's rays, he hastened to close them, groaning as he did so. 

"Bloody sun…" he murmured, turning his head to the darker part of the dormitory. 

"Malfoy, are you awake?" 

Draco turned. He saw Crabbe, Goyle and other Slytherin sixth-years standing by the doorway, full-dressed. He shook his head and covered himself in his comforter. "You can go ahead," he said shortly. 

"Alright then." The other boys shrugged and left him in the dormitory, making a lot of noise with their shoes. Finally, when everything was at peace, Draco lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. He wanted to recall what had happened last night with Hermione… 

He had never _ever_ cried before in front of someone, even in front of his own parents. And just the previous night, he had done so in front of the least expected person… Draco punched himself mentally, abashed at what he had done. He was a _Malfoy_… but right now, that actually didn't matter to the world… but he was a _boy_… a male human being, and he cried in front of a _girl_… 

"The strongest men are not afraid to cry," he muttered to himself as a way to console his inner self. Draco shook his head and looked out of the window. He felt much better after letting all his feelings come out, and his heart felt relatively lighter, all thanks to Hermione. 

Draco raised his head, making a decision. He was going to show his gratitude and appreciation for the first time to another person… to Hermione.

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"What?!" Ron crushed his feather quill. "Two more feet?!"

Harry, who was holding a ruler, looked up and said heavily, "I need one and a half more to complete. How about you, Hermione?"

He turned to Hermione, who was reading a book by the fire. Hermione looked up. "Oh—I have five and three fourths. One and three fourths more than what Professor Binns asked for." She gave them a smile and continued on reading.

The two boys groaned and continued on with their assignment. "Who cares about how Herrin the Unmistakable agreed with the Treaty of the Dragons?" Ron grumbled, getting a new quill from his bag. 

"Ron! It's history! How can you not care?" Hermione exclaimed, looking appalled. 

He shrugged and continued scribbling on his parchment. Hermione rolled her eyes and closed her book. "Well, I'm going to return this to the library. See you later." She got up and made her way to the Portrait Hole. 

"Don't leave, Hermione! We need you!" Harry called to her desperately. 

"We need your brain!" Ron said, making a sad, puppy-eyed face. "Don't go!"

Hermione laughed and finally climbed out of the Common Room.

****

Hermione traced the books with her finger. She was already looking for another one for light reading, since she had already finished _Three thousand ways to make Three Thousand Potions_, the latest book she had borrowed from the library. After minutes of doing so, she finally took out a dusty book. She cleaned the cover, which revealed its title. 

__

"Muggle Fairy Tales and Wizarding Fairy Tales Put Together," she read out loud. There was a moving picture of a beautiful princess riding a unicorn in front, and Hermione thought it was very fascinating. She decided to borrow the book, so she put it in her arms and proceeded to Madam Pince. 

"Hmm? Not an educational book this time, Miss Granger?" the librarian asked, taking out a purple stamp. 

Hermione shook her head politely. 

Madam Pince closed the book and finally handed it to her. "You know when it's due, am I correct?"

Hermione nodded, and bid her goodbye. 

****

"The Prince and the Celery? Silverlocks and the Three Werewolves?" Hermione raised her eyebrows as she read the titles of some fairy tales. She was walking back to her Common Room, and she had already opened the book. "Weird titles… let's see… Hands-sell and Gretzel? Medium-sized Blue Walking Cape? Shouldn't it be Little Red Riding Hood—oof!"

Hermione had bumped into someone, resulting to the two of them falling on the floor. "Oh, dear—I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking—" Hermione stuttered nervously, but eventually stopped when she saw whom she bumped into. "Malfoy?"

Draco was still on the floor, rubbing his temples. "Granger?" He stood up and offered his hand to her. Hermione took it and gave him a smile of thanks. 

"What were you doing, reading a book in the hall?" he asked, looking at her with a weird stare. 

Hermione laughed, embarrassed. "Er… sorry about that. Anyway, where were you going?"

"Er… I was… kind of… looking for you." 

Hermione blinked in disbelief. "What—Why?" 

He hesitated, but nevertheless, he gave her an answer in a straightforward manner. "I just wanted to… thank you. For last night. For your help."

"Well—" Hermione looked at him stiffly. "You're welcome. Anytime."

She gave him a smile and extended her hand. Draco, though surprised, shook it.

****

"Settle down, settle down!" Snape said loudly. It was Potions in the dungeons, and the Gryffindors were stuck with the Slytherins. "Now, you will all make a Healing Solution today. I expect that all of you will do it well—excluding Longbottom—since it is one of the easiest and at the same time most valuable potions in the world. Now, since I'm feeling quite generous and kind ("As if that'll happen," Ron muttered darkly), I will allow you to pick your own partners—however, they have to be from the opposite house."

Grumbling, the Gryffindors dragged their feet to their chosen partners. 

"Guess I'll be with Blaise," Ron said hopelessly. "You Harry? Hermione?"

"Definitely not with Malfoy or anyone dumb. Probably Pansy." Harry replied, sighing afterwards. "Hermione—"

They turned to her. However, she was gone. "Where did she go?" Ron wondered, looking around. 

"I dunno. Maybe she's with—" Harry stopped. 

"With who, Harry?" Ron asked him. "With—" He had spotted her. 

Harry faced Ron, his face pale. "With Malfoy…"

__

"The Draco _Malfoy_?" Ron was gaping at them. 

"Catch me, Ron. I think I'm going to faint." Harry gulped and Ron shook his head disapprovingly.

****

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A/N: Since my mom doesn't want me to attend graduation practice, I'm stuck here typing endlessly. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter thoroughly because I sure didn't! I've been drained of my inspiration! Anyway, review please! I need 'em badly since I'm stuck at home! Anyway, REVIEW! Bye!!!

I need 50-60 reviews or more this time!!


	8. Aphrodite's Day

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A/N: Hey there! I'm so glad I reached fifty! He he… it's hard to do so nowadays… some people, including me, are too lazy to click on the review button… anyway, thank you to **Girl-named-Belle**, **Dark Comet**, **beckie13**, **Deimos** and the other people! 

So, here's chapter seven!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

BY Rage

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CHAPTER SEVEN: _APHRODITE'S DAY_

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Harry, Ron and Hermione stood at the entrance of the Great Hall, their mouths wide open with surprise. 

"What in the world…" Harry trailed off as he looked around. The Great Hall was decorated with several banners in different shades of pink and rose petals were falling from the enchanted ceiling, disappearing when they almost touched the ground. The teachers were all in either red or pink robes, which perfectly matched the decorations. 

"Good morning everyone and a Happy Aphrodite's Day to all of you!" Dumbledore said pleasantly. 

"What, another Valentine's Day or is Lockhart back?" Ron said, snorting. Hermione rolled her eyes and dragged the two boys to their seats. 

"Today is a day in honor of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. It is somewhat similar to Valentine's Day, with a few changes. Aphrodite's Day is celebrated in November and it is for Aphrodite." Dumbledore paused, his eyes twinkling. "Now, you may send cards, flowers, chocolates or anything sweet to your loved ones and crushes today to celebrate this day fully, but please do it with moderation. Thank you. You may now continue with your breakfast." 

When the headmaster already sat down, there was a murmur in the crowd. Girls giggled, boys took out their money, while few continued eating. Harry immediately took out a piece of parchment and a quill. "Do you think Cho will know it's from me?" he asked Ron and Hermione, biting the end of his quill. 

"No, of course not." Ron replied, grabbing a bit of toast. "Just make sure you don't give clues that it _is_ you."

Hermione shrugged and ate her breakfast. Ron turned to her and said, "Do you think Lavender'll like a purple flower?" Hermione smiled. "Yeah. I'm sure."

The two boys began to talk to themselves about what to give to the girls they liked, which left Hermione all alone. She sighed. "This day isn't really for me," she muttered darkly. She sighed once again and finished her toast.

****

Draco sat on his bed, running his hand through his hair. It was such a hectic and tiring day. From morning 'til afternoon, girls kept popping up everywhere he went, giving him either flowers, cards, or chocolates. Alas, the burden of a handsome boy… 

Draco sighed heavily and opened his bag where he kept all his gifts. He took out the bundle of love letters and opened each one slowly. 

"You are like my false teeth…" Draco read, "I can't smile without you." He laughed quietly. "Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Boy, as cute as a toy, will you be mine?" 

He laughed at what each one said. He was compared to a god, a king, a knight in shining armor, and a lot more things that flattered him and made him laugh. Each card or letter was decorated with hearts or roses that it was difficult for Draco to count how many there were. Finally, when it was already dusk, he was done with all of them. He gathered them up and prepared to put them in his trunk when something caught his attention. 

A simple white envelope was sticking out from his bag, and it stood out from the many shades of red. Draco put down the other cards and grabbed the envelope. 

His name was written on its back neatly without any décor of any sort, which interested him a lot more. He opened it carefully and took out the piece of parchment. It read:

__

Just to let you know, you are thought of this Aphrodite's Day. Have a Happy Aphrodite's Day!

Hermione

P.S. I'm just bored, that's why I'm writing this! Kind of cheesy, huh?

Draco smiled slightly. He put the letter back into the envelope and put it in his pocket unconsciously. He looked at his watch and realized that it was almost dinnertime. 

****

It was already December, and snow had started to fall, covering the whole castle like a huge white blanket. Students started to lose their concentration on their studies, which resulted to a very early Christmas break. 

"Yes!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing his cloak and mittens. "Snowball fight!"

The Gryffindors had planned a whole lot of activities involving snow, and everyone was fairly excited about it, especially the boys. The girls weren't as nearly enthusiastic, though. 

"Come on, Hermione! Let's get there before everyone does!" Harry called out to her. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Seconds later, she arrived at the Common Room, wearing her cloak and her black woolen gloves. "Shall we?" 

They nodded energetically and climbed out of the Portrait Hole hurriedly.

****

Draco sighed as he looked out of his window. It was a beautiful day outside but no Slytherin was enjoying it. "The disadvantages of a Slytherin…" he muttered, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. He yawned and looked at his watch. It was already three in the afternoon, and this was the most boring hour of the day. 

Finally deciding that the day was too nice to waste, he grabbed his cloak and left the dungeon. 

****

Draco whistled as he walked on the school grounds. The trees were covered in snow, but that didn't dampen the spirit of the birds to continue on singing. The scene was picturesque, which made the day even more beautiful. Too bad he had to spend it all alone…

"Malfoy?" Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Draco jumped in surprise and turned around. It was Hermione.

"Granger?" 

She smiled widely and waved her hand. "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"We just had a snowball fight over there." She pointed to the direction where she had just come from. "I'm just resting."

Draco blinked. A question was forming in his head. _What was a snowball fight?_ He had heard the name of that game before already, but he really didn't know what it was and how it was played. "Er… what's a snowball fight?" 

"What?!" Hermione gasped in surprise. "You don't know what a _snowball fight_ is?"

Draco reddened a bit out of embarrassment. "Never mind." He muttered quietly, mentally kicking himself. Hermione was laughing, but she tried to stifle her giggles. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said, coughing a bit. She was red from laughter, but she still had a straight face. "I can't tell you what it is, though. You have to experience it for yourself." 

Draco raised his eyebrow. "What do you mea—" Something extremely cold was thrown to his face. He opened his eyes and wiped it off. "Snow." He looked around and saw Hermione shaping some snow into a ball. _"That_ was a snowball fight?" 

She looked up. "Well, it's not yet a _fight_. You still didn't hit me with a snowball." She grinned childishly and handed him the ball. "Here. Try it."

Draco held the ball in his hand and looked at it awkwardly. "I'm supposed to throw it at you?" 

Hermione nodded gleefully. "Go on."

He smirked evilly. "Well this should be fun." He held the ball tightly, aimed it carefully, and after seconds of getting ready…

He threw it at her face with full force. 

Hermione stood still. After the snow fell off, she laughed. "You're a quick learner." 

"Thanks." Draco grinned and bent down on the ground. "Get ready for more."

****

The two teenagers stared up at the sky. It was five in the afternoon, and the sky started to darken. 

"Any dreams of her lately?" Hermione asked, glancing at him. 

Draco shook his head. "But I hope I see her soon."

"You will. Just wait." She smiled amiably and looked up. "You know, I'm quite jealous of that girl." 

Draco looked at her. "Why?"

Hermione sighed dreamily. "It's because someone's waiting for her. Someone's anticipating her arrival." She sighed heavily and turned to him. "Like any other girl, I wish I had someone for myself."

Draco stared at Hermione. She was staring up at the sky again, as if wishing for something. He moved closer to her and patted her on the back. "Well… you'll have someone." He said quietly. "Who wouldn't want you?"

Hermione turned to him and reddened. She smiled goofily at him. "Are you sure you're the Malfoy I know?"

He laughed silently and stood up. "We should go now." Hermione nodded and stood up as well, brushing the snow off her robes. "Thanks, Malfoy."

He smiled slightly. "You're welcome." 

****

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A/N: Hey there! I just finished this chapter because I'm quite bored here in our house… Oh some questions:

Does it snow in England during the start of December? I don't know because I'm from Asia and I live in a tropical country. We don't have snow here, of course.

Is Aphrodite a Roman or a Greek goddess? Hmm… 

Hey! Wanna know my full name? It's ***** ******** * ****. I live in the ***********. My cell number is ***********. Call me anytime! He he… 

Anyway, REVIEW! I need 55-60 or more reviews! Please REVIEW! Need 'em badly! If you are wondering why the characters are OOC, review! If you want to criticize my story, REVIEW! If you want to worship me, REVIEW! If you want to flatter me, REVIEW! If you want to share some ideas, REVIEW! 

Okay, I'm running out of 'if you want to…'s. What is important is that YOU REVIEW, GOT IT? 

ANYWAY, SEE YA! 


	9. The Search

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A/N: Hey there! I'm so sorry it took so long! It was my graduation last Apr. 8 and the next day, we went to the beach and stayed there for four days! It was so beautiful there! White sand, native delicacies… aah… beautiful. And then we went snorkeling and all kinds of fishes were present! From really small fishes to angel fish-sized ones… and they came in many different colors! It was so relaxing there!

Anyway…

To my reviewers:

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dude: Hey, I'm sorry! For crying out loud, I'm only thirteen! And I'm not really that good a writer! I'm sorry if Harry and Ron are ooc, but this _is_ a FANFIC! Anything _CAN_ happen, GOT IT?

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Girl-named-Belle: It's okay… only three more months. In July, it's the rainy season and it's going to be stormy here… and we've got school…

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Embers: Thank you for the info. I will try to make it longer. :)

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Aidel: We never experience snow here in this part of Asia… but thanks for informing me!

And to my other reviewers, thanks for reviewing and hating/liking my story! Keep on reviewing!

On to the story now!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER EIGHT: _THE SEARCH_

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Draco had dreamt of the girl once again. And this time, he had asked her an important question. 

__

Are you real?

And it was confirmed that… _she was._ She had said yes to him and Draco's heart literally leapt with joy. The girl of his dreams was real and he would finally get to meet her in reality. The only problem was… 

He didn't know her name. All she said was that she was just nearby him that he would never _ever_ think that it was she. That meant that it could be anyone in this school… and that resulted to a problem. There were a hundred girls in Hogwarts and there were four houses. Maybe even the teachers were included as well! But Draco shuddered in disgust and instantly got rid of the idea.

Draco groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Where there's a will," he muttered, standing up, "there's a way." 

He was determined to find out who the girl was and he'd do anything to meet her. Anything just to meet her…

Because he had already fallen in love with her… with the mystery girl.

****

It was Saturday and the sun was already setting. Hermione was sitting on the stone steps of the castle, and she was in deep thought. She was recalling what she had said to Draco two days before, and she was mentally punishing herself. 

__

You know, I'm quite jealous of that girl… 

What was she thinking, saying a thing like that to _Draco Malfoy_? Sure, he had already softened up, but that wasn't an excuse to say such a foolish thing to him! Hermione buried her face in her hands and shook her head in shame. "Hermione, what's gotten into you?" 

She looked up at the dark velvety blue sky and sighed. "What happens, happens," she consoled herself, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "How I wish I had my old Time-Turner, then I could go back and knock some sense into me."

"Haven't you got enough common sense?" 

She turned around and looked up. It was Draco, wearing his striped scarf and black cloak. But it wasn't just Draco… it was a handsome Draco. He looked absolutely dashing at the moment, and he matched perfectly with the scenery. Hermione felt her cheeks redden, and she gulped. 

"Er—Malfoy. Hi." 

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, sitting beside her. 

"Oh, just wasting my time." Hermione goofily smiled. "You?"

"I was going to tell you something important." 

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What?"

Draco grinned and replied, "She's real."

"Who? The girl?"

"Yes."

__

"The girl?" 

Draco nodded. Hermione gasped and squealed in excitement. "Well—who is she?"

"Er…" Draco scratched his head. "Well, I don't know—yet."

"Okaay… that's a problem, isn't it?" 

Draco nodded and sighed. "That's why…I… er…"

"Let me guess. You need my help." Hermione smiled and sighed heavily. "Why not? It'll keep me busy during the holidays."

"Don't we have homework for the holidays?"

Hermione grinned. "I already finished them."

Draco grinned back. "I forgot. You _are_ Hermione Granger." He stood up and brushed the dust off his cloak. "Well—I'll be off now. It's time for dinner." 

Hermione nodded and stood up as well. "We'll start tomorrow, shall we?"

Draco smiled. "Sure. See you."

Hermione gave him a cheery wave and turned around. "Bye." She started walking off, but before she could turn around the corner, Draco had called her name. 

"Hermione." 

Hermione stopped abruptly and glanced at him. "What?"

"Thanks." 

****

"Brown hair that falls gracefully in curls… vivid, beautiful brown eyes… quite tall…" Hermione read the note slowly. Draco had finally given her the physical characteristics of the mystery girl. However, it really didn't help Hermione that much to identify the girl. "This sounds like a love letter!" she muttered grumpily, crumpling the small piece of paper. She sighed heavily and looked around the Great Hall. 

"Maybe it's her… no, maybe _that's_ her—wait—aargh!" Hermione ruffled her hair in frustration and banged her fist on the table. "Why am _I_ even doing _this_?! For _Malfoy!_"

"Doing what?" 

Hermione turned around and glared at her two best friends who had just arrived. "Do _not_ even try to mess with me!" she snapped, pointing her finger at the two. 

Ron backed away and Harry jumped. "Got up on the wrong side of your bed?" Ron asked, taking a seat two places away from Hermione. 

"I'm sorry, you two. It's just that I'm quite… er… preoccupied and stressed at the moment." 

Harry raised his eyebrow and sat down. "Just to inform you, it's the Christmas holidays."

"Yes, I believe I know that." Hermione replied flatly. "I'm just troubled with something." 

The two boys looked at each other and grinned. "Maybe we can help." Harry said. 

Hermione snorted. "Are you sure?" 

"Well, we'll give it a try," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Unless of course it involves arithmancy or something."

Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione stared at her two friends and sighed. _Why not?_ She thought, as she flattened the small piece of paper. _They might actually know her._ She gave them the note and said, "Do you know any girl who looks like this?"

Harry took the note and read it. Ron looked over his shoulder and read some parts of it out loud. "…falls gracefully in curls…brown eyes…tall…waaiit a minute." Ron grabbed the paper from Harry and looked at it closely.

Harry raised his eyebrow. "You know her?" he asked, looking over Ron's shoulder. Ron gave him a flat look and grabbed the end of his robes. He whispered something to Harry, and as he did so, Harry's eyes widened. "Yeah?" He took the note and read it again, pausing every time to look up at Hermione. Hermione continued staring at the two, until finally, they spoke to her. 

"Well? Do you personally know her?" Hermione asked. 

Harry and Ron glanced at each other and then stared back at her. "Hermione, when was the last time you looked at a mirror?" Ron asked, giving back the note. 

"What do you mean?" she looked at them weirdly as she put the paper in her bag. "What, I look like this—this girl?"

The two looked at each other and nodded. "Well—yeah. Sort of." Harry said, shrugging. "Actually, if I didn't know you any better, I would have thought that this _was_ you."

Hermione blinked before she could take in everything they had said. When finally she did, she opened her bag, took out the paper and read it again. "What're you talking about?" she exclaimed. "No, it doesn't." 

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, you have blondish… er…brown curly hair. You have brown eyes and you're catching up to Harry and me." Harry nodded. 

Hermione wrinkled her forehead. She snorted. "You're out of your minds, you two." She grabbed a piece of bread, took her bag and prepared to leave. "I'll see you later. And _thanks_ for your help."

She waved goodbye to them and left the Great Hall. 

****

"Dasher and Vixen," Hermione told the Fat Lady. However, since she was talking her friend, Violet, she hardly heard her. Hermione rolled her eyes and stomped her foot. "Excuse me!" 

Fortunately, the two ladies heard her. "Yes, dear?" The Fat Lady asked pleasantly, while Violet crossed her arms and muttered, "Impolite girl…" 

"Dasher and Vixen. I _want_ to get in the Common Room please." Hermione said grumpily. The Fat Lady chuckled and opened her portrait. Hermione muttered a thank you and climbed in. 

Finally inside, Hermione proceeded to her dormitory, placed her bag on the floor and fell on her bed. She didn't know why she was in such a bad mood, but she had a pretty good feeling that it was because of what Ron and Harry said. She shook her head and muttered, "She just looks like me, that's all… but then again…"

Hermione stood up and walked in front of the full-length mirror. She examined herself and turned sideways every other time. And much to her dismay, her two friends were… well, quite right. She _did_ have beautiful brown curls…she had chestnut brown eyes that were very alive and bright… and she was almost 5'6". And to top all of that, she was, in her and everyone else's opinion, a very pretty young lady. 

However, Hermione sighed heavily. Yes, she _was_ pretty, but the girl Draco was looking for was surely going to be _much_ prettier than she. And to her surprise, she felt a tinge of jealousy. It was just a small pang, but all the same, a part of her was jealous. And she didn't know why. 

****

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope that this is long enoughfor you already. I'm dying to post it up already! And I hope you all review! I need 'em badly, understand? I cannot live without your reviews! It is my oxygen! He he… just kidding… but all the same, REVIEW! I even wrote a poem!

What I really need from you

Is your awaited good review

May it be bad, May it be good

May it be nice, may it be rude

My story badly needs it now 

So review. I'll show you how.

Click that 'Go' Button down below,

Review and that's how I will know:

Someone actually likes my story

Or thinks that it's sickeningly gory.

SO REVIEW!!!

PS. I worked hard on the poem, so you have to give me credit by REVIEWing!!


	10. Christmas

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A/N: Thank you Thank you thank you…thank you for reviewing and reading!

Anyway… some people were asking why Draco couldn't see his dream girl's face and realize that it's Hermione (you're not supposed to know that, btw)… well it's like this: Face it, dreams are almost all the time blurry and quite faded. Have you ever had a dream that was you know, really clear? Draco just knew that it was his parents in one dream because he's lived with them his whole life and surely he'd know them instantly…

Oh yes: HOW TO MAKE WORDS ITALICIZED… if you're uploading a word document, go to Save As, then go to the _Save as Type_ (located at the bottom), then click HTML document, then save. All the italicized and bold words in your document will be retained. :-)

Anyway…on with the story!  


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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

BY Rage

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CHAPTER NINE: _CHRISTMAS _

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It was a crisp, chilly morning when Draco woke up. Snow was gently falling on the castle grounds and the sky had a light tinge of gray splashed onto its pale blue color. It was indeed, a perfect winter's day… and it was exactly three days before Christmas. 

Draco had just had a dream about the girl again, and the instance he woke up, he wanted to go back to sleep again in order to see her. However, he already felt so energetic that it was impossible for him to even close his eyes. So, being fully awake, he went out of his sheets and prepared for the day. 

****

Yes, it was going to be a _long_ day because a Hogsmeade visit was scheduled today. It was the students' annual visit to the small but very alive town every Christmas and it was the time when everyone would be doing their Christmas shopping. Draco sighed as he thought of how full the village town would be later. However, it was the last Hogsmeade visit for the year and besides, he needed to do a bit of shopping himself. 

Now, Draco never, in his Hogwarts years, shopped during the holidays. He never gave anyone gifts, for he expected everyone to give him gifts. He never wasted his money on anything useless and unnecessary and he never spared even a second to think if he was going to give someone a Christmas present, or even a Christmas card! 

However, it was going to be different this year. It was time for him to show his gratefulness to Hermione, and he was going to do it by giving her a special gift. But he wasn't going to forget the mystery girl; she herself said that she was real, so he was going to buy her a present as well. 

Draco smiled gleefully, and grabbed his pouch of money. He pocketed it, and exited the Common Room.

****

__

Will Harry like this? _How about Ron?_ Hermione browsed through a rack of sweaters. She was alone in Hogsmeade, doing her Christmas shopping. It was easier that way, because first of all, it took less time and her two best friends wouldn't know what she was going to get them. 

She pulled out some clothes and examined it. _Ron gets sweaters annually and Harry doesn't like sweaters that much,_ she thought, putting them back on the rack. In her opinion, the older boys got, the harder it was to shop for them. Hermione sighed and looked around. For a moment, she seriously considered giving them money instead. That way, they'd be able to buy what they wanted. However, Hermione thought, it wasn't really appropriate. 

So, she exited the clothes shop and proceeded to a small souvenir shop. Once she entered, she proceeded to the Quidditch department. Wizarding boys of all ages never tired of the sport, so Hermione decided that she would buy something for her two friends that was Quidditch-related. 

Hermione grabbed seven models of the players of the Chudley Cannons for Ron and a special Anti-theft Broom device for Harry's beloved Firebolt. She smiled at her choices and made her way through the crowd to the cashier counter. She paid a total of fifteen Galleons and four Knuts for them and left the shop, her money pouch relatively lighter. 

Now that she was done, she prepared to go back to the castle. She held two bags on each hand, and walked through the snow. It was cold, but luckily, her scarf and her cloak kept her warm. 

"Let's see… I'm done with Ron, Harry, Lavender—" Hermione peered inside her shopping bags. "Parvati, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Ginny, Susan… I think that's it! Wait a minute—" She stopped and dropped her bags on the ground. "You've got to be kidding—" 

She had forgotten about Draco. Hermione groaned in complaint and smacked her head. That meant she had to go back once again to Hogsmeade to buy him his gift. So, she picked up her bag, sighed heavily and turned back. 

****

"I doubt that he likes Quidditch as much as Ron and Harry," Hermione muttered. She was back at the same souvenir shop, at the same department, and she was at lost. It was only this year that she had gotten to know Draco a little bit more, and that was a problem. She had no idea what to get him, and it was almost dusk. Hermione was already panicking, because the curfew was drawing nearer and nearer and she wasn't done with her shopping.

Hermione looked around the shop, desperate to find the perfect gift. She couldn't just give him sweets from Honeydukes, and she couldn't give him a card only. It had to be special and it had to be something he would treasure. However, no such gift was around. Hermione scanned through shelves of magically weird things and bit her lip. "This is just plain impossible," she uttered irritably, rummaging through a box. "How would I know what he would want! I mean—" 

And she found it. The perfect gift. She had reached the end of the box's bottom and there it lay silently. A silver pendant, with the figure of a serpent. Simple, yet with class. It was indeed, the best gift to give Draco. It was quite small, yet wasn't it the thought that counted? 

Hermione grabbed it, and dashed to the counter.

****

Christmas morning finally came. Hermione woke up, and looked out the window. Snow was falling softly to the ground and the sky was still quite dark. It was already 7:30 in the morning yet she was the only one awake in the girls' dormitory. So, she stood up, got all her presents, crept quietly to the door and went down immediately to the Common Room. 

Upon arriving, she saw Harry and Ron opening their gifts. They too had brought down all their presents and opened it in front of the fireplace. Hermione grinned and joined them.

"Finally… a gray sweater!" Ron opened his yearly gift from his mother and was pleased that his sweater wasn't maroon. He placed it carelessly beside him and attended to his other gifts. 

Harry had just opened Hermione's and was awed. "You shouldn't have, 'mione," he said, "This is just plain too much!"

Hermione smiled in reply. She then took her first present from Ron and neatly opened it. It was a set of quills and different colors of bottled ink. Afterwards, she took Harry's and upon opening it, she realized that it was a medium-sized blue journal. She grinned at her friends and placed their gifts behind her, and moved on to her other gifts.

****

"Hermione." 

She spun around, and came face to face with Draco. And her heart skipped a beat. 

"Merry Christmas." He said, giving her a smile. 

Hermione returned it and reached inside her pocket. Finally, she took out a small package. "Here. Your gift." She handed it to him. "I hope you'll like it."

Draco muttered a 'thanks' and he as well took out something. "And here's yours. I looked hard to find it."

Hermione grinned and opened the small box. And she gasped silently. It was a single white rose that turned silver in the light. "It looks like an ordinary flower," Draco said quietly, "but it'll never wilt. That's the beauty of it. And mind you, it's one of the rarest."

Hermione looked up. She was astonished, and obviously, she was speechless as well. All she could do was thank him and say, "I-I'll take care of it. Don't worry."

"You're welcome." Draco smiled and now looked at Hermione's gift. Hermione bit her lip. "You might not like it, you know—" 

But Draco was already opening the package, and after many seconds, he had already taken the pendant out. Hermione bit her nails, and knew that Draco didn't like it, seeing the way he stared at it. "I'm _so_ sorry, Draco! It's not much but—"

But Draco turned to her and smiled. "I think it's wonderful."

****

Now that they had already exchanged gifts, the two sat silently on the stone steps. Hermione stared at the flower and sighed silently. It was really beautiful… although it was a flower and flowers really didn't intrigue her that much… this one was an exception. Maybe it was the fact that it was from Draco Malfoy or maybe it was a magical flower… Hermione didn't know. 

"I forgot to show you what I was going to give her, didn't I?" Draco broke the silence. 

Hermione looked at him. "Yeah," she replied. 

Draco reached inside his pocket and took out a small box. Hermione raised her eyebrow and asked, "What's inside?" 

Draco opened it carefully and gave the box to her. Hermione took it slowly and gasped. "It's _beautiful_, Draco," she said. She couldn't take her eyes off it and smiled widely. 

"I know." Draco replied triumphantly. 

It was a necklace, obviously made of white gold, and it had a matching pendant of a small angel… the angel was made of crystal and it shimmered beautifully under the moonlight. Hermione handed it back to him. 

"What do you think?" Draco asked, putting the package back in his pocket. "Will she like it?"

Hermione smiled. "Yeah…" she answered, "Yeah…she will." 

And oddly, when Hermione said that, there was a lump in her throat. And the pang of jealousy had returned. She turned away and looked instead at the rose. She bit her lip and played with it. 

"Why shouldn't she like it?"

****

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A/N: Finally… I'm done with Chapter Nine… Hope you all enjoyed it! Now personally, I would have preferred the never wilting flower rather than the necklace… It seems so much more special… and besides, it's _Rare_… 

He he… now, let's have a survey, shall we?

Which do you prefer? The flower or the necklace? Tell me by reviewing, k? I wanna know if girls prefer bouquets over jewelry… being a girl… I prefer… er… we'll see in the next chapter! 

ANYWAY, REVIEW! BYE!

GOAL: 85-90 reviews or more… I shall be waiting…


	11. Caught in the Moment

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A/N: Hello there! It's so good to hear from all of you! I'd like to thank each and every one of you, but I'm too lazy to actually go back to the reviews page and list you all down… as I've said before, I'm an extremely lazy person at times… so I apologize. But you know who you all are, right?

Anyway, about the survey:

A lot more people seem to like the flower more than the necklace… or maybe there was a miscount… I dunno… 

Hmm… I'd like to have jewelry more than bouquets of flowers unless of course the flowers'll never die, of course…

Anyway, you must be annoyed with me already… so, here's chapter ten!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER TEN: _CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT_

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It was already after New Year and the holiday feelings had already disappeared. The Christmas décor was already taken down and the castle had begun to keep quiet once again. All the students had to complete all their holiday homework, so the library, which was completely empty during the break, was full. The Gryffindor Common Room, which was bustling with excitement before Christmas and New Year, was now silent and dull. 

Harry and Ron crouched over one of the tables, looking at charts and books. Hermione on the other hand, since she had already finished her homework, was reading a copy of _Two Hundred Fifty-Eight Ways to Be Better in Arithmancy_, which she had received as a gift during Christmas. 

"A three foot essay about _Miranda the Marauder_," Ron said, looking up, "And a four foot essay on how to make a _Self-satisfying Solution_. The teachers are crazy!"

"You know that those aren't the only assignments." Harry looked up. "There's the tarot reading in Divination, the research for Transfiguration and there's that Herbology plant thing."

Ron groaned, and looked at Hermione. "Can't you at least help us, Hermione?" 

Hermione looked up at him. She saw small bags forming beneath his eyes and Harry's hair was tousled. She smiled, and seeing how pitiful they looked, she decided to help. "Fine then." 

The two straightened up and grinned. "Really?" 

Hermione nodded. She closed her book and pulled her chair closer to their table. "Okay…" she looked at their finished work. "Ron, you've got this wrong. Miranda the Marauder never went to Iraq—she went to _Iran_. And Harry—you add _six grams_ of finely crushed unicorn's horn, not sixteen."

And she continued. Ron and Harry, though they were being corrected several times, were not offended. They fully knew that they needed to get high in their grades, because they were going to take their N.E.W.T.S. in the near future, and a part of their academic achievements were going to be reflected there. So, they listened to Hermione as she made their work easier, explaining some complicated things and giving them the right information. 

Hermione on the other hand, though her two friends were having a hard time understanding it all at once, tried being patient and though this was taking much of her time, she was glad to help.

****

Draco sat quietly in the shadows of the Slytherin Common Room. He had tried to refrain from hanging out there, but it could not be avoided. Since there was schoolwork to be done, he had to do it there since he couldn't finish it downstairs in his dormitory or in the library. 

Fortunately, after a few hours, he was done. He noiselessly crept down to their dormitory to keep away his books and slipped away silently from the Common Room. He didn't know where he was going, but anywhere was a lot better than the cold dungeons. 

****

"Achoo!" 

Hermione turned around. Was it just her imagination or did someone actually sneeze?

She took out her wand and muttered, _"Lumos." _Its tip immediately emitted a faint light, but it was bright enough for Hermione to see her surroundings. "Who's there?" she said urgently. 

"It's just me—Achoo!" 

Hermione turned around. It was Draco. "What're you doing here?" she said, putting down her wand. 

"Just wanted to walk around—Achoo!" he sneezed again. Hermione giggled slightly. "What are _you_ doing down here?"

"Prefect duties." She replied curtly. She motioned Draco to sit down on the floor. He sneezed before doing so, and he leaned his head on the wall. "Are you feeling okay?" Hermione asked. 

Draco nodded. "Yeah—just a cold, that's all," he replied, "No need to worry—Achoo!"

He groaned and took a deep breath. Hermione shook her head and took out her wand. _"Blankete Apare._" Draco watched her wave her wand and instantly, a big blue blanket appeared and covered his freezing body. 

"Thanks." He smiled and snuggled in the blanket. 

Hermione flicked her wand once again, and this time, a bowl of soup appeared. She took it and handed it to Draco. "Here. Drink this." 

"What is it?"

"Muggle soup. Chicken soup. Perfect for colds." 

Draco reluctantly took it, and he looked at Hermione before tasting it. Finally, he brought the bowl to his mouth and sipped the soup. 

Afterwards, he licked his lips. "This is delicious!" 

Hermione laughed quietly and watched Draco act like a little kid. It was like he was seeing everything for the first time and he just looked absolutely cute. His eyes were full of joy and excitement, and Hermione realized something. 

He _was_ seeing everything for the first time… he never experienced all the things a normal child did, and that might have been the cause why he was cold, distant, and mean. Their home was never filled with love, and Hermione suddenly felt pity for him. She watched him finish the soup hurriedly, and smiled.

****

Snow fluttered down silently as the two teenagers sat together in the dark hall. It was the very same hall where they had first established their friendship…where Draco had cried and where he was comforted by Hermione.

"Do you mind if I sleep for a while?" Draco asked, turning to Hermione. 

"Sure. Want a pillow?" Hermione grinned and prepared to take out her wand. However, Draco held his hand up to stop her. 

"No, I'm okay." 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes—Achoo!" 

With that, he bid her a small goodnight and closed his eyes. And he was asleep right away. Hermione sighed and watched him quietly. And a thought suddenly crossed her mind. 

__

Is he going to dream of the girl again? And jealousy had arrived once again. Hermione shook her head and buried her face in her hands. Why was it that every time the mystery girl was mentioned, she always felt like Draco was going to be taken away from her… not that he was hers, of course… There was always a surge of envy and jealousy running in her and she was clueless why that was happening… 

She groaned silently and leaned her head on the wall. "Why, of all people, is this happening to me?" she muttered, closing her eyes. However, her train of thought was cut short when she felt Draco snuggling closer to her. She blushed straightaway and felt her body go rigid and stiff. _He smells good,_ she thought. But she instantly got rid of the idea, punishing herself for even thinking about it. 

Draco yawned and unconsciously moved closer to her. Hermione felt instant warmth and knew that her cheeks were reddening every second. She put her arm around him and pulled him closer, knowing that even if she pushed him away, he would inch closer to her afterwards. She placed his head gently on her lap and his body followed suit. She stroked his pale blonde hair and watched him sleep. 

And unconsciously, as if by instinct and not by her own will, she lowered her lips and kissed him on the forehead. 

****

Hermione and Draco watched every girl pass in the corridor. They were behind a door and they were searching endlessly for the mystery girl. It was hard work, because there were a hundred girls in Hogwarts and they never saw all of them in one day. There were tall and lanky ones, stout ones, weird ones, shy ones, short ones, all kinds of girls… but there was no luck. 

"Do you think she's older than us, younger than us or just the same age?" Hermione asked, peering through the small slit. 

Draco shrugged in reply. "I have no idea."

Hermione sighed hopelessly and watched. "There's a curly-haired girl, but her hair's color red… there's one! Er—false alarm." 

Draco sat beside her and looked around. "This _is_ impossible, Hermione."

"No, it's not." She looked at him with determination. "You want that girl—_we'll get that girl."_

Draco gave her an appraising look. She was alive and energetic, and she thought of this search as a challenge. He grinned and looked outside. "You're right." He said, "we'll never stop until we—"

And he stopped. Hermione glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

Draco's eyes widened with surprise. He was staring at a Ravenclaw girl, who had _brown curly hair_, _bright brown eyes_, and she was beautiful. Draco gulped and stood up. He felt that they've found her and the search was done. He turned to Hermione and smiled triumphantly.

"I think we've found her, Hermione." 

****

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A/N: I do hope you liked that chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it… especially the second to the last part! Ha ha… You'll have to wait if you want to read Hermione kissing Draco on the lips… that'll be in the last chapter. He he… 

Now, goal: More than a hundred, okay? 

Thanks! 


	12. Reality Bites

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A/N: Wow… more than a hundred reviews! I didn't think that it was even possible! Thank you VERY much to all my reviewers! You all are very kind!

Thank you to chatterbox, Girl-named-Belle, Mjade, BeliveTheFaith, PotterzGirl, Aindel, Emilie, LP Draconis, Carrii, Dark Comet, fanie87, Meg, TomsBeachChickBum, Keeper of the Circle, The Editor, Picky Corrector, DazzilinAngel555, Dreaming One, Embers and elisa-gurl. 

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The Editor: I have indented my paragraphs in this chapter! :)

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Picky Corrector: No, it _is_ chapter ten. The very first chapter was a prologue. :)

Anyway, here's chapter eleven! Hope you like it!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER ELEVEN: _REALITY BITES_

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Hermione sighed heavily and stared across the table. There was Draco with his _mystery_ girl, whose name, they've found out, was Dana, a fellow Ravenclaw sixth year. They were chatting quietly and every other time, she would hear one of them burst out with laughter. 

"Can't they see that we're in a library?" Hermione uttered irritably, clenching her fists. "People come in here to _study_, not _talk_!" 

Ever since Draco came up to the girl, he had forgotten all about the existence of Hermione, and every waking moment, he would be with her; walking around with her, studying with her, sitting with her, talking with her, laughing with her, being with her… Hermione scowled when she felt the pang of pure jealousy. 

So, she closed her book, shoved it into her bag, stood up and strolled out of the library. She didn't think twice about glancing back at Draco; she perfectly knew that he was too _preoccupied_ with Dana to look at Hermione and wave goodbye. She was already used to it anyway; she had experience from the last five years he had ignored her. 

But somehow, in a way… this was different. Unlike before, Hermione now wanted to be Draco's center of attention. She wanted him to see only _her_, and no one else… she wanted his feelings to be hers and hers only. She wanted her to be his… She was scared, scared of losing him…and she didn't know why. 

****

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry waved his hand in front of her face. 

Hermione snapped out of her trance and faced him. "I-I'm fine. Don't worry," she replied, giving them an assuring smile. 

But still, her two friends looked at her with concern. "You've been acting strange all day!" Ron exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You _barely_ recited in all our classes today! You got one mistake in our History of Magic Quiz, _and_ you didn't do well in performing your Invisibility Charms today!" he said, counting them with his fingers. "You're troubled, aren't you?"

Hermione blushed, glancing at Draco. "Er—no." she answered, turning to them. "I'm just…tired—that's all."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes," she said firmly. "I'm _fine_, trust me." 

Ron and Harry looked at her. "Are you _really_ sure?" 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "_Yes." _She took one last bite of her dinner and stood up. "I have to patrol now. I'll meet you later."

The two nodded and started once again to discuss Quidditch. Hermione gave them a tiny smile and left the Great Hall.

****

"Hello, Sir Nicholas." Hermione gave the ghost a smile as she greeted him. 

"Good evening, Hermione!" Nearly Headless Nick replied, turning his head to the right. "How's the patrol?"

"It's fine, thanks." 

"That's good to hear!" he chuckled slightly. "Well, I must be going. I'm late for my weekly ghost meeting. See you at the Tower!" 

Hermione nodded, bidding him goodbye. He disappeared through the wall and left Hermione all to herself. "I wish he stayed," she muttered, sighing and moving on. "It's a bit drafty tonight, but a ghost can give a bit of warmth. I mean—"

She stopped. She had come across her favorite hall—_their _favorite hall… hers and Draco's… their favorite place. But it wasn't she who was there with him tonight. It wasn't she who was beside him. It wasn't she who was talking with him. It wasn't her anymore… 

It was Dana.

****

The first day of spring came. The snow melted away silently, and the lush green grass appeared. Flowers started to sprout up so suddenly and warmth spread around in the air. Draco and Dana walked on the grounds, admiring their surroundings that afternoon and chatted away about light things. 

At first, Dana insisted on holding his hand all the way. However, Draco had turned crimson and kept his hands in his pocket, which disappointed her so. 

"Er—do we have to?" Draco asked stiffly, pulling his hand away. "Someone might see and—"

"Who cares what others see?" Dana exclaimed. "Just hold on—"

"Maybe some other time." Draco said in a final tone. He started walking and looked back. "Shall we?" 

Though annoyed, Dana smiled and nodded. With that, they stepped out of the Entrance Hall and began their afternoon stroll.

****

"Hermione!" Draco called, pacing a bit faster. He ran to where she was and left Dana behind. 

Hermione looked up from her book and glanced at him. "Draco," she said, grinning. "This is a surprise! Where's—"

At that moment, Dana arrived, breathless. "Why'd—you—leave—me?" she choked, fanning herself with her hand. "Why—were—you—in—such—a hurry—anyway?"

Draco glanced at Hermione and saw that her smile was gone and was replaced with a frown. He turned to Dana. "Sorry," he muttered, "but I just saw Her—"

Dana cut him off. "Hermione, isn't it?" She smiled pleasantly and extended her hand to Hermione. "I'm Dana." 

Draco watched Hermione shake her hand stiffly and return a strained smile. He watched her as she shifted uncomfortably when Dana sat beside her. 

"What are you doing anyway?" she asked, leaning over to Hermione. 

"Homework." Hermione replied curtly, moving farther away. 

"For what subject?" 

"Ancient Runes."

"Is it hard? I've heard that the subject's quite difficult—"

"Dana, I think we'd better go." Draco pulled her up. "Hermione's got loads to do." 

Hermione looked at him. 

__

I'm sorry for disturbing you, he seemed to say, giving her an apologizing smile. She in turn smiled slightly, and nodded. So, the two bid her goodbye and left her in peace.

When they had lost sight of her, Dana spoke up. "She's very pretty, Draco," she said lightly, clinging on to Draco's arm. "She really is."

__

Yes, she is, he thought. He stopped abruptly. Where did that thought come from?

"Anything wrong?" Dana asked. 

Draco gazed at her and was instantly reminded of Hermione. "Er, no." he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing's wrong." 

Dana raised her eyebrow and shrugged. "Anyway, I was just saying that she should have more fun," she continued as they began walking once again. "She's too bookish and studious and all—I mean—"

However, Draco wasn't listening anymore. His mind was already raided with thoughts of Hermione. He glanced at Dana and once again, Hermione's image came into view. _Why are you thinking of her, Draco Malfoy?_ A voice asked curiously. _Why are you not thinking of Dana?_ And Draco could not find an answer.

Why _was_ he thinking of her all of a sudden? Here was his dream girl, walking beside him. However, he was thinking of Hermione. He punished himself mentally for doing so and concentrated on what Dana was saying.

"Do you like marmalade a lot? How about jam? I like—" 

He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. He knew that he was supposed to have fun with Dana because she was the girl he waited for. However, this was just plain wrong. Something wasn't right. And Draco felt it. 

But Dana _was_ his dream girl, right? 

He had no doubt about it… 

However, he couldn't help but think twice. He couldn't help but regret that it wasn't Hermione.

****

Hermione trodded up the stairs leading to her dormitory. It was a tiring day… a very tiring one, indeed. She had to finish all her projects, and she had to avoid Draco the whole day. It was very hard work, because he turned up everywhere she went. In the library, in the Great Hall, in her classes… 

"I _cannot_ do this forever!" she exclaimed loudly. She closed the door behind her and lay down on her bed. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. _Why, oh why was this happening to her, of all people?_

She sighed heavily and stood up. "Can't he just disappear?" she whined, taking the silver rose from her bed sidetable. She looked at it carefully, and sighed. Dana had appeared once again in her head and she felt instant anger. She gritted her teeth and cried out in frustration. 

It hurt her whenever she saw Dana and Draco together. It was pure torture when she knew that it could never be her… it was painful and very hard to admit…

That she had fallen for the guy she knew she could never have.

Draco Malfoy.

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A/N: Yes… that was quite bad… not a well-written chapter, I must say! Eurgh! I didn't like it, but I hope you did! Even if this sucked, I hope you still review! I'm aiming high!! Hope you help me reach my goal! He he… 


	13. A Talk with Dana

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A/N: Hello there! I was just skimming through the previous chapters and I have just come to realize that Draco and Hermione's friendship had evolved awfully fast! Now I understand what you were all saying before and I apologize for not making it gradual… 

Anyway, I would like to thank all those who have reviewed: fanie87, Keeper of the Circle, girl-named-Belle, the Editor, I love carlos s., Aindel, pixie, Draco_Fan, LP Draconis, Angelgirl1, len, grlEgrlE, Katieshaz, Dreaming One, Embers, DazzilinAngel555, etc.

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Thank you for all your comments, suggestions, and ideas! 

Anyway, here's chapter twelve!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER TWELVE: _A TALK WITH DANA_

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__

It's you.

Hermione woke up instantly, gasping for breath. She had seen the girl with her own eyes, and she was shocked. Very shocked, indeed. 

It was she all along… No wonder Draco never figured it out. 

****

_Explain the Giants' Rally for Independence in no more than four paragraphs._ Hermione reread the question. She just couldn't concentrate at the time; the sixth years had been given a load of homework and projects and her dream had driven her crazy. 

"I don't need this right now!" she cried, ruffling her hair. She was too busy with finishing all her schoolwork and forgetting her feelings for Draco. But now that a dream had told her such an important thing, she was very close to getting confined in St. Mungo's.

"Is fate against me?" she moaned, banging her head on the desk. "What have I done to deserve this?"

"To deserve what?" 

Hermione looked up. It was Draco, looking handsome as ever. "D-Draco," she stuttered, turning crimson. "W-What are you doing here? Alone?" 

Draco sat himself down and replied, "Dana has a Ravenclaw meeting this afternoon."

"Oh." Hermione drummed her fingers and tapped her foot. Draco watched her with interest for a while, when finally, he spoke up. 

"I haven't been spending that much time with you, have I?" he asked quietly. 

_Damn right you haven't_, Hermione thought angrily as she gritted her teeth. "I didn't notice," she instead said curtly, shuffling the papers in front of her. 

"Well, I'd like to make it up to you."

"How?" 

Draco smiled. "How's about we spend the rest of the afternoon down at the lake?" 

"What about Dana?" 

Draco waved his hand impatiently. "She can wait, I guess. I've neglected you for the past few days."

'_Past few_ weeks' _sounds more like it. _Hermione immediately brushed the thought away and nodded. "Fine then." She replied, getting up. "Shall we?"

Draco nodded and smiled.

****

__

Where's Draco? Dana wondered as she walked through the halls. She had just come from the Common Room where the weekly Ravenclaw meeting was usually held. Now that it was done, she had decided to spend her remaining time with the Slytherin boy. However, she couldn't find him. She had already checked everywhere, but still there was no sight of him.

"He might be in their Common Room," she suggested. She considered approaching someone from the same house, but as everyone knew, Slytherins were hostile and never entertained the questions of anyone. 

She sighed heavily and looked out of the window. "Or—he might be with that Hermione." 

And sure enough, he was. There they were on the castle grounds by the lake conversing quietly. They looked like they were enjoying themselves just by being together, and Dana, though at first she wanted to go to them, decided to leave them alone. 

Personally, she thought, Draco and Hermione seemed perfect for each other. It was obvious that without the other, one would not be able to stand alone. They needed each other… and besides, Dana had to admit, they looked very cute. She was not at all jealous—she and Draco weren't a couple anyway…

Dana sighed. _He picked the wrong girl, I guess, _she thought, smiling. She fiddled with the necklace he gave her and took it off. "This shouldn't be with me," she said quietly, clasping it tightly in her hand. She looked at the angel and glanced at Hermione. "I'm not his angel… she is." 

****

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Dana asked in a serious tone. 

Hermione blinked and stared at Dana. Was she kidding? By the looks of it, she wasn't. So, she nodded. She stood up and followed her out of the Great Hall.

When they were finally alone, Dana faced her. 

"Why'd you bring me out?" Hermione asked suspiciously, looking around the creepy hall. There were shadows everywhere, and the dancing of the flames made the place creepier. 

"Don't worry," Dana said, smiling. "I didn't bring you out here to kill you, you know. I'm just here to talk about Draco."

Hermione blushed. "I—why?"

Dana bit her lip. "It's just that—I don't think I'm the right one for him." 

Hermione gasped. "What, you're going to leave him?" she blurted out angrily. She had a feeling that that was what Dana was going to do, but she wasn't going to let that happen. "You can't do that!"

"Why? It's not like I'm the reason he's alive or anything—"

"You _are_ the reason!" Hermione's eyes had started to water. "You're the reason why he's alive right now!"

Dana frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"When his parents died, he felt like he didn't deserve to live," Hermione choked, tears streaming down her face. "He almost killed himself because of that…but a girl made him want to live… and that's _you_."

Dana gasped. Hermione wiped away her tears and faced her. "He believes that you're the girl he's been looking for. That's why you can't leave him."

"But how was he so sure that it was me?" Dana asked timidly. "It can't possibly be me—"

"I fully believe that it's not you." Hermione looked at her, her face flushed. "But he believes that it _is_ you."

There was a moment of silence. Hermione bit her lip and turned away. Finally, Dana broke it and spoke up. 

"You… love him, don't you?" she asked quietly. Hermione turned her head sharply and looked at Dana. 

Dana smiled and took out the necklace. "It's not me as well, is it?" she said, closing her eyes. 

"How can you be sure of that?" Hermione asked, looking down. 

"Because… you know it's really you."

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A/N: I apologize for the ending. I have to admit and I can't deny it—I'm bad at endings! Yep! This happens also in school whenever we write an essay or a paragraph or likewise! It's hard for me to make an amazing ending…

However, I hope you all like it! So—REVIEW! Will appreciate it! Thanks! 


	14. You Picked the Wrong Girl

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! Thanks to all those to reviewed! 

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Keeper of the Circle: I give you permission to do so! Just tell me the URL address!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: _YOU PICKED THE WRONG GIRL_

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Hermione watched them from a close distance. She hid behind a statue, observing Dana and Draco as they talked. It was today that the Ravenclaw would finally end things with him and Hermione knew that Draco's reaction would be simply… horrible. 

A part of her was scared to see the results, frankly because she knew that Draco would once again be in despair and he would do dreadful things again… and seeing him like that pained Hermione. However, the other part, was jumping for joy. There would be a chance for her to be his once again and that simply gave Hermione pure bliss.

So, Hermione waited patiently for their conversation to end…

****

"Why'd you bring me out here?" Draco said, giving Dana a weird look.

It was already after dinner, and the two were at the West Tower. Dana had told Draco quite seriously that she needed to talk with him and Draco, though confused, obeyed. 

"I—wanted to talk to you," she said rather stiffly, avoiding his eye. "About something important."

Draco smiled softly. Dana bit her lip and faced him, her eyes getting teary. Then Draco's eyes widened... He almost knew what was coming… "What's wrong, Dana?" he said sharply, stepping closer. Dana gasped and her tears streamed down her face. 

"What's _wrong_??" he repeated, as he now shook her shoulders. "Tell _me_, Dana!"

Draco waited for an answer, yet he wasn't given any. But he now knew that he didn't have to have one; he already knew what she wished to say. He stepped back, his eyes wide…

"Draco…" Dana whispered, her tears now strolling down her face. She reached for him, yet he backed away.

"STEP BACK!" he screamed. His tears rolled down his cheeks and he was breathing heavily. "You-you're just the same as them… you're going to leave me like—like they did… how could you, Dana… _HOW COULD YOU_?"

"Draco…" she now sobbed, inching closer to him as he backed further away. "You don't understand… you picked the wrong girl—it's not me… it's not me—"

But Draco wasn't listening anymore. He felt like his world was crumbling down and he felt vulnerable once again. He fell to the ground and lowered his head. "Leave me, Dana," he whispered softly, "Just… please… go."

The room was filled with nothing but her sobs. Draco looked out into space and fell silent. "I'm so sorry," Dana said softly. She kneeled beside him and took out the necklace he had given her. "Here. Give this to her. It doesn't belong to me." She placed it on the floor, and gave Draco a short hug. "You'll surely find her." With that, she pulled away, and left the Tower, leaving Draco all alone. 

"Why is this happening to me?" Draco moaned, burying his face in his arms. He looked out into the dark night and picked up the necklace. "I've been stupid," he said, clasping the necklace tightly. "To actually think that she was real… I've been damn stupid."

****

Minutes passed as he sobbed in silence. Finally, his crying ended but his grief was beyond tears. He had thought himself a fool, an idiot… for falling for a girl who wasn't real… who didn't exist.

"Draco?" A small voice said timidly. He looked up and saw Hermione peeking inside the round room. From the look in her eyes, she had already realized what had gone on inside the Tower. 

"Hermione…" Draco bit his lip and held back his tears. Hermione rushed inside and carefully approached him. Draco looked at her and instantly fell into her arms. He clung to her like a child and she hugged him tightly, as she desperately tried to soothe his sorrow. 

"Will you leave me too…?" he said weakly, sounding like a helpless child. 

Hermione tightened her embrace and smiled. "No." She puld him closer to her and whispered, "Never."

****

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A/N: Gosh… that went well… *says in a sarcastic tone and rolls eyes* I do hope you enjoyed it… I just did it all in a hurry because I usually don't take this long to write a chapter. I apologize if it isn't all that well written as the others! I tried! 

Oh yeah… I know Draco cries a lot in this fic, but it makes my story really dramatic! He he… And sorry it's so short!

So, goal: 160-170! Or more!

I do hope you help me reach that goal! REVIEW!!


	15. He Knows

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A/N: Hello there! I'm so glad I reached 170! Now's the perfect time to jump for joy!! He he… anyway. I'd just like to say thank you to all those who have reviewed! I'd like to thank you for enjoying my fanfic and I do hope you will continue reviewing in the near future… 

Oh yeah… to **jeopardy**: stop changing your name!

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Deimos: yeah, I know… he's quite dense, isn't he? He he…

Okay… I'm not really sure if this is the last chapter… It depends on the amount of inspiration I have at the moment… 

Anyway, here's chapter fourteen!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: _HE KNOWS_

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"Draco?" 

He turned, and saw Hermione standing before him, carrying a handful of pastries from lunch. Draco smiled slightly and made room for her to sit down.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked, handing him a muffin. She took a bite of one of the cupcakes and looked at him. 

"Honestly speaking, I'm still not fully alright." Draco replied quietly, playing with the muffin and taking a bite of it right after. 

"Oh." Hermione turned away and stared instead at the lake. At that moment, a huge tentacle emerged from under the water and took one muffin from her. Draco jumped slightly and Hermione giggled. "The giant squid's hungry, I guess," she laughed, throwing another muffin in the lake. 

Draco chuckled silently and sighed. He gazed at Hermione, and bit his lip. How he envied her carefree, happy life… Why wasn't he blessed with things she had? A real loving family, loyal friends… 

"Will you still look for her?" Hermione's voice cut off his train of thought. 

Draco faced her and frowned. "Why should I?" he replied irritably, "She doesn't even exist." He clenched his fists in frustration, as the thought scarred him emotionally. "I just want to forget everything about her. I want to think that nothing _ever_ happened."

He fumed, and Hermione, instantly knowing that he was feeling angry once again, put her hand on his. "I'll leave you alone for a while," she said quietly, smiling. She stood up, gave him a light grin and ran off to the castle entrance. 

Draco watched her retreating figure disappear. Once she did, he sighed sadly and stared at his hand which Hermione had just touched a moment ago. He could still feel the tingling sensation she had given him. _Why couldn't it be her?_ He thought angrily, throwing his leftover cupcake in the lake. _Why couldn't Hermione be her?? Was it because she's a Muggle-born—_

Then an idea struck him. A very strange idea… "It _Can_ be Hermione, right?" he said to himself, rubbing his chin. She had brown curls, brown eyes, and she was tall for a sixteen-year old girl… but it couldn't be… could it? 

"Preposterous…" he said immediately, shaking the thought off his mind. Hermione Granger, his dream girl? Ha! Might as well be Pansy Parkinson.

****

_Draco turned around and came face to face with her. She had an angelic smile on her beautiful face, and her expression held a mystery. Her eyes were filled with love and Draco was mesmerized once again with her beauty. _

"Why didn't you look for me?" she said, half-whispering the question. She reached out for his cheek and caressed it gently.

Draco closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. But he pulled away instantly, realizing that this was all a dream. "You don't exist. You're just someone I imagined…" he slowly said, glowering at her. 

The girl giggled, and took a step forward. "But I do_ exist." She said softly. She took his hand and held it tightly. "You're just afraid, that's all…"_

Draco's first initiative was to pull his hand away, but something stopped him from doing so. The way she held his hand seemed all too familiar… very familiar. However, he let go of her and stepped back. "You never were real in the first place. This is all just a dream, and you're just trying to torment me." 

The girl smiled sadly. "I would never do such a thing." She came closer and embraced him tightly, as if she would never let go. Draco turned rigid, and felt the warmth she gave him spread through his body. No one ever gave him this feeling his entire life, except… except—

"What's your name?" he asked reluctantly. 

The girl let him go, and took a step back. 

"What's your name?" Draco repeated. The girl smiled gently and raised her head higher. Her face, which was all too faded and blurry before, was now clear. And recognizable. Draco gasped.

"My name's—"

~

"Hermione." Draco jolted up as he woke up from his dream. 

Now he knew who his dream girl was.

****

"Ron? Ron, wake up!" Hermione shook her red-haired friend whose head was resting on his breakfast plate. Immediately, he raised his head and looked around sleepily. 

"On Tuesday, I will fail a quiz," he said, his eyes out of focus. He banged his fist on the table as if making an important point, and his head fell once again on his eggs. 

Harry shook his head disapprovingly. "He was up all night finishing his Divination homework," he explained to Hermione. "I told him to do it the day before, but he wouldn't listen." 

Hermione nodded and took a bite of her toast. "Ron will be Ron," she said, grinning. At that moment, Ron woke up once again and looked immensely troubled. 

" Who's calling me?? I forgot to finish my predictions!" he exclaimed, as the eggs on his forehead fell back on the plate. However, he blinked and fell asleep once again. 

Harry and Hermione laughed and continued eating their breakfast. Harry turned to Seamus and began talking about Quidditch, which left Hermione alone to talk to herself. She looked around and sighed. 

Suddenly, she was aware that someone was watching her. She turned around and saw Draco staring at her. "What the—" 

"Something the matter?" Harry suddenly asked, tapping her on the shoulder. 

Hermione jumped and turned to face him. "N-no," she muttered. Harry shrugged and resumed talking with Seamus. Hermione then glanced back at Draco. 

He was still staring at her. 

She felt her blood rising to her cheeks and she turned away. Why was he staring at her all of a sudden? Was it because he had realized his feelings for her? Was it because he fell in love with her? Was it because she had dirt on her face? Or…

Hermione gasped. "Oh. No." 

He already knew. 

****

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A/N: Okay, so it's not the last chapter. I lied… ha!

Yeah… about the previous chapter… my friend enlightened me with what I wrote in it and I have just realized that I positively despise the chapter! Draco cries in it for such a dense reason… ugh… 

Sorry I'm disgusted with my own piece of creative work… I know it doesn't suck (except for the said chapter). He he… 

Anyway, please give me a lot of reviews! Goal is 180-190 or more! 


	16. Forget Everything

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A/N: Oh my gosh! I can't believe I reached over 200 reviews! Thank you thank you thank you to every single reviewer! I'm very grateful!

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THANK YOU TO: Fire'N'Ice, LP Draconis, Keeper of the Circle, Len, Aindel, The Editor, Girl-named-Belle, Erin Granger, SummerRaven, KatieShaz, Tiani Lunaris, Megan, Zoya, fanie87, Angelgirl1, Dark Comet, Dreaming One, delila-malfoy, me, PotterzGirl, Felicity, Mjade, d'S giRL, Head Over Heels, Charmed, Deimos, Ace, OwlZ, golly GOSH!, d'sgirl_12, Natalie Garner and all the others!

Now, some reviewers were asking why Hermione didn't want Draco to know that it was she. Here's the answer (I think): It'll put their friendship on the line (I think) and besides, it makes the story (in my opinion) nicer and longer. He he… sorry I can't give you a logical and sensible reason!

Anyway, here's chapter fifteen! Hope you enjoy it! 

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

**__**

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: FORGET EVERYTHING

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_For crying out loud... He's here!_ Hermione quickly hid behind her two taller friends and crouched down. _Please don't let him see me! Please oh please!_ She prayed, closing her eyes and looking hopeful and desperate. 

"Hermione, what in Merlin's beard are you doing?" 

Hermione looked up and saw Ron and Harry looking down at her in a weird way. She laughed nervously and stayed put. "What—oh, I was just tying my shoelace," she replied, giving them a grin. 

The two glanced at each other. "But Hermione," Ron started, "You don't _have_ any shoelace." 

Hermione mentally kicked herself. "Oh—yeah. I forgot." She stood up carefully and brushed the dust off her robes. She turned the other way and bent down. 

"Are you… _hiding_ from someone?" Harry asked. 

Hermione shook her head rapidly and laughed. "What ever gave you that idea?" she stammered, covering the left side of her face. 

"Er… never mind." The two shrugged and kept their distance away from her. Hermione gulped and ran off to the corner of the greenhouse, away from the crowd. She didn't want to be seen by Draco; she had avoided him ever since he found out. 

Hermione hid behind big potted plants and settled there while the class waited for Professor Sprout. She peered through the leaves and watched Draco. He was looking around the crowd…specifically at the Gryffindors. Her guess was right. He _was_ searching for her. 

Hermione sighed in relief and relaxed. She watched him as he failed to find her and she giggled. "Scares me to death, but very sweet…" she muttered, reddening. 

At that moment, Professor Sprout came in. "Good morning, everyone!" 

The class greeted her back and they quieted down. "Today we will be repotting Mediplants into much bigger pots." She said, taking a small pot. "Now, I trust that you know what Mediplants, correct?"

A few nodded in reply and she continued. "Now, Mediplants need to be put in pots where there is a more nutritious, healthier fertilizer since they need good health. Why is that? Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled and replied, "Their primary purpose is to heal."

Professor Sprout clapped. "Good! Four points to Gryffindor! Now, please pick your own partners and help each other repot five pots! Now, go!" 

Everyone started moving; Slytherins picked Slytherins, Gryffindors picked Gryffindors. Hermione looked around and saw Ron and Harry together. The rest of the Gryffindors already had partners. _Where's Neville? Maybe he'd want to be partners with me—_

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around. "Sorry but I'm busy trying to…" she stopped, realizing who it was. "Malfoy."

"What happened to 'Draco'?" he smirked. 

Hermione groaned silently, and bit her lip. "Sorry but I'm… already partners with Neville," she told him stiffly, taking a step back. 

Draco raised his eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. "Seems to me like Longbottom's already with Brown," he said smugly, crossing his arms. 

"What—" Then Hermione clapped her hand on her forehead. She had forgotten that Parvati was out sick today. "Oh, for Merlin's sake…"

"Come on then. Or we'll be the last to finish." Draco took her hand and pulled her to a spare tray. 

Hermione blushed, feeling surges of electricity run through her veins. _Why did he have to know??_

****

"Why are you avoiding me?" Draco asked quietly, turning to face Hermione. 

Hermione gulped and glanced at him. "I'm not in the mood to talk right now," she snapped. "Besides, we've got to finish this activity."

"Touchy, aren't we?" he joked, grabbing another pot. 

Hermione grunted in reply and continued with the repotting. Draco blinked. 

"Why _are _you avoiding me?" he asked, now in a more serious tone. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to him. "Just answer my question, Hermione."

Hermione gasped, startled. _What does he want to know?_ She thought, staring into his gray eyes. There was absolutely no way to escape his question now. All she could do was answer truthfully. "I—"

At that moment, the bell had rung, signaling the end of Herbology. "Alright now, class!" Professor Sprout clapped her hands. "Leave what you have done and prepare for your next class!" 

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed her bag. Draco looked at her. "Goodbye, Mal—Draco." She gave him a small grin and ran off to Ron and Harry. 

"I'll talk to you next time," he called to her. Hermione ignored him and reached her two best friends. 

"What does that _ferret_ want to talk about with you, Hermione?" Ron asked, staring at Draco's retreating figure. Harry nodded along and Hermione gaped at them, her mouth hanging open.

"Er—what, oh. He-he wanted to talk about…" Hermione thought quickly. "uh—a—arithmancy! Yes, arithmancy."

The two stared at her. "Arithmancy?" Harry repeated with a tone of disbelief. 

Hermione nodded. "Yes—about our… previous lesson!" 

The two stared at her for a while, before finally taking everything she had said in. The two shrugged and began walking to the castle. Hermione sighed in relief, and followed them back. 

****

Draco watched Hermione as he ate his dinner. She was talking to her two best friends in the Gryffindor Table, and they all looked quite cheerful. Draco sighed sadly and took a sip from his goblet. 

He watched as Hermione ruffled Harry's hair, laughing as she did so. They looked all so happy… Draco felt a surge of jealousy.

"Are you going to eat your cake?" Goyle suddenly asked. Draco's thoughts were suddenly interrupted, and he glared at him. 

"What?"

"Are you going to finish your slice of cake?" the big Slytherin repeated, pointing at Draco's dessert. 

Draco rolled his eyes and pushed his plate towards Goyle. _Stupid git,_ he thought angrily, gazing back at the Gryffindor table. _Can't he see that I'm busy—_

He stopped. Hermione was missing. Ron and Harry were still there, but she wasn't anymore. _Where'd she go?_ He looked at his watch and had realized that it was already eight o'clock. _Damn. I forgot!_ It was time for Hermione's nightly prefect patrol and he had missed her exiting the Great Hall. 

So, Draco stood up and left the Hall immediately. He headed for the fifth corridor, knowing that it was Hermione's first stop. And sure enough, she _was_ there, checking and rechecking all the rooms. 

Draco, thinking of himself as fortunate, made his way to her and called her name. "Hermione." 

Obviously startled, Hermione quickly spun around and came face to face with him quite angrily. "What in the world are you doing here?" she snapped. "Are you… _stalking_ me or something?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "No," he replied, "why in the world would you think that?"

"Because that's what it seems like!" she said, waving her hands in the air. "Everywhere I go, you always end up being there too! You want me to be your partner in every activity, _and_ you keep _staring_ at me during mealtimes!"

"I don't _stare_ at you!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She crossed her arms. "Just a while ago during dinner, I saw you drinking from your goblet while you kept your eyes glued on me!"

Draco just gaped at her. "Look—"

"You know what, just leave _me_ alone." Hermione looked at him seriously. "This is all just a joke, all of this. Our friendship… everything. I want my old life back. I want you as nothing but an annoying Slytherin, okay? I want you… out of my personal life. Permanently."

Draco blinked in disbelief.

"Goodbye, Malfoy." Hermione started walking away, but Draco had stopped her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around violently. 

"You knew… didn't you?" he half-whispered, looking deep into her brown eyes. 

Hermione gasped and stared back at him. "Let me go," she said quietly, giving him an indignant look. 

Draco tightened his hold on her. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

Hermione didn't give him an answer. She only struggled to get his hands off her. "Let me _go_, Draco!"

He didn't obey her. "Answer my question, Hermione." He demanded. His eyes were flashing dangerously, but Hermione didn't flinch.

"I _said_, Let. Go." 

Draco didn't know what had happened the next few seconds. Hermione had taken her wand out and raised it. _"Reducto!"_

Instantly, Draco was pushed backwards rather hardly and he hit the ground in no time. Hermione breathed heavily and lowered her wand. "I'm so sorry…" she said hoarsely. Draco raised his head and saw tears brimming in her eyes. She gave him an apologetic look and before Draco could call her, she ran off, without looking back. 

****

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A/N: I think that this chapter is well done… I dunno. Do you think it is? 

Anyway, Hermione's acting like this because, I dunno, she's denying her feelings. She thinks that if they get together, terrible things may happen… yeah… something like that. I know it sounds confusing, but I'm really not a good explainer. Trust me. This happens in school. 

Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. By the way, this isn't the last one. I promise. 

So, goal: 225-230 or more, okay! Thanks! I will really appreciate it!!! 


	17. Final Chapter

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Author's Note: Hello there! First and foremost, I would, as usual, like to thank all of those who have reviewed! Thank you very _very_ much!! I hope you continue reviewing!

Oh yeah, to **lil-dragon**: Eh he… sorry for the mistake. Before I wrote down _Reducto_, I checked the book first… I guess I misunderstood the purpose of the spell… again, sorry for the mistake! :-)

Anyway, here's chapter sixteen (but according to ff.net, chapter 17)!

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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Rage

**__**

FINAL CHAPTER

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Hermione ran off, looking flushed and still crying. She didn't _harm_ Draco _on purpose_; she was just forced to! Didn't she at first _politely_ tell him to let go of her? She was just protecting herself, after all…

"Pesky Peaches," she choked to the Fat Lady, upon arriving at the Gryffindor Tower. 

The portrait stared at her. "Anything wrong, Hermione?" the Fat Lady asked in a motherly tone. 

Hermione shook her head in reply. "I just want to go to bed, that's all." 

The Fat Lady opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. "If you say so," she sighed, opening. The portrait hole had appeared and Hermione climbed in hastily and arrived in the Common Room. There were a few people there, and to Hermione's relief, no one who personally knew her was present. 

So, she clambered up to the girls' dormitory and reached her four-poster bed. Fortunately, everyone was already asleep and no one heard her come in. She changed in her pajamas and climbed under the covers, still teary-eyed and feeling horrible. 

"I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered, closing her eyes. She just didn't know what had come over her. She didn't mean to use her wand against Draco… Hermione tightened her hold on her blanket. 

She had no idea why she kept pushing herself farther away from him. She had gotten what she wanted; Dana was out of his life. But she was scared, frightened. Frightened that everything would just be a joke, a fantasy. A part of her knew that he only liked her just because she was the girl he had dreamed of literally, and not because for who she was. 

Besides, it would never work out between them. He would still be the annoying boy who had tormented her for the past five years and she would still be the Mudblood, his enemy. She was afraid that he would just make a joke of her love and that he would break her fragile heart. 

And she didn't want that to happen to her. So, she had come to a final decision. Tomorrow would just be any other day, and Draco would just be any other person. She would forget their friendship and she would forget whatever she had felt for him.

Hermione smiled sadly, and glanced at her bedside table. There lay peacefully the silver rose Draco had given her. Once she had touched it, a surge of joy and at the same time sadness rushed through her. Moments they've spent together flashed in her head and Hermione couldn't help but smile. 

Though she had decided to forget everything that had happened between them, deep inside, Hermione knew that she couldn't. She couldn't forget those times when both of them had cried and laughed, and she certainly couldn't make herself forget those times when she felt _and_ knew that she truly loved Draco… 

But most of all, she could never forget those times when she was absolutely sure that Draco loved her too… not because she was his most awaited girl, but because she was just herself… just Hermione. 

With that, Hermione drifted off to a dreamless sleep, still clutching the rose in her hand. 

****

Days passed. Lessons flew by like any other in Hogwarts, and no conversation was made between Draco and Hermione. Hermione hung out all the time with Ron and Harry once again, and Draco wandered alone around the castle in his spare time. 

Dana shot looks at the two every time she could and scowled. She had thought that they would finally be together when she had left Draco, but she was wrong. They were more distant than ever… 

Draco, on the other hand, stared deep into space all the time, and only snapped out of it whenever he saw Hermione. He would keep his eyes glued to her, until she was out of sight, and Draco would once again resume staring out into space. 

One day, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had Double Potions together and Snape, being very cruel and unforgiving as usual, decided to make their lives a living hell for at least a couple of hours. 

"Good afternoon, students," he said quietly, an evil grin forming in his face. 

The students greeted him back dully and Snape crossed his arms. "For today, you will all be making a simple draft called the Featherweight Potion, which is used—yes, Miss Granger?" A scowl formed in Snape's face and Draco glanced sharply at her direction. "I didn't even ask a question."

Hermione jumped slightly. "I—I just wanted to finish your statement, professor," she stammered, lowering her hand. "But I-I've changed my mind, sir—"

"Oh no, Miss Granger. Take your time and finish what I was saying." There was a malicious glint in Snape's eyes and Draco stared at her.

Hermione gulped and stood up. "The—the Featherweight Potion is u-used to make a person or an object light as a feather and—and make him, her or it acquire super speed if necessary."

She sat down once again and Draco glanced at her. Snape, on the other hand, clapped his hands mockingly. "Very good, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor for giving a very good answer—" Hermione and the rest of the others beamed and Snape continued. "—and ten points _from_ Gryffindor for interrupting me." 

The Slytherins snickered and Hermione gaped at Snape. "Hope that teaches you a lesson," Snape said to Hermione rather smugly. The Gryffindors glared at their teacher.

"Now, I will pair you all up. Boy and girl together, I'd have to say—to prepare you for Valentine's day—but of course, each pair will be a Gryffindor and a Slytherin together." Snape's lip curled and everyone groaned. 

Draco sighed and glanced at Hermione. She was looking down at her desk, wringing her hands quite nervously. 

Meanwhile, Snape had started to pair them off. "Patil, Goyle! Brown, Zabini! Longbottom, Parkinson—" Draco sighed and leaned on his chair. He prayed hard that Snape would pair him off with Hermione…

"Malfoy and Granger!" 

His prayer was answered. Draco smiled slightly and stood up. He picked his things up and walked off to Hermione's desk. "Hermione," he said, nodding to her. Hermione grunted in reply and turned away. 

"According to the book, we need all these things," she told him, pushing her book towards him. "Some unicorn hair, feathers of a phoenix, and some dragon blood." 

Draco nodded along as he looked at the ingredients. "I'll be getting that from the student cupboard, shall I?" He asked, glancing at her. 

Hermione nodded in reply and began fixing the tools they needed. Draco sighed and walked towards the cupboard. He grabbed the things they needed, and went back to their table. "Here." He placed them carefully on the table. 

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, her attention still on the book. "We'll start first with heating the cauldron…" She whipped out her wand and flicked it. A second after, there was fire already beneath the cauldron.

"Feathers of a phoenix, please." She extended the palm of her hand and Draco placed them carefully in it. "Thank you." She held them on top of the cauldron, and set them on fire. The ash fell inside, and once it touched the bottom, red sparks emitted from it. 

"Unicorn hair." 

"Here."

Draco watched her put the ingredients in, and once again, Hermione turned to him. "Now the dragon blood." 

Draco nodded, picked up the small bottle, and handed it to her. "Thanks." 

She pulled her hand away, but found that she couldn't. Draco was holding her hand. "Please let go of me," she muttered, turning away. But Draco didn't let go of her. 

"Everything going well?" 

Draco immediately pulled his hand away from Hermione's and looked up. It was Snape, his hair looking much oilier than ever. Both of them nodded in reply and Snape leaned near their cauldron. 

"Good." He gave them a dirty look and left their table. 

Hermione sighed in relief, and opened the bottle. Draco glanced at her. "See what could've happened?" Hermione hissed, glaring at him. "He could've seen you-- _holding_ my hand!" 

"Just got carried away," he muttered. He shot her an apologetic smile and mixed the potion. 

Hermione rolled her eyes and poured in the liquid. Draco continued mixing the potion in silence and Hermione read the remaining instructions quietly. 

****

Rain poured that evening. The sky was swirling with thick gray clouds and lightning appeared every other time. Thunder was heard and the wind was thrashing quite harshly against the windows of the castle. 

Hermione walked through the dimly lit hallways as she checked every crack and hole in each one while humming a nice song. "The sun will come out tomorrow, pa da da da dum dum dee dum dum… There'll be sun," she sang, "Tomorrow, tomorrow—"

She stopped singing. She had come across a hall and someone was sitting by the window. And Hermione realized who it was. It was Draco, staring outside. 

Her eyes wide with surprise, Hermione prepared to turn on her heel and leave. However, Draco had already seen her. 

"Hermione." 

Hermione turned around and stared at him. She bit her lip and prepared to run, but her body didn't seem to obey her. _Run legs! Run!_ She ordered. _Did he put a leg -locking curse on me?_

Instead of turning the other way, she walked towards the window where he sat. Draco glanced at her and looked back outside. She sat beside him and kept quiet. 

Thunder was heard and the rain poured harder. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. How she wished that she was beside him forever… but she completely knew that that was impossible. 

She then became aware that Draco had his hand on hers. Hermione looked at him, but he was still gazing outside the castle. She tried pulling her hand away, but Draco stopped her.

"No… don't pull away." He said quietly, grasping her hand more tightly. 

Hermione bit her lip, and blushed. There was a tingling feeling, and though it made her uncomfortable, it felt quite nice. 

Hermione looked at her watch and realized that it was getting late. "I have to go," she said curtly, standing up. Her hand was still held by Draco and he seemed like he didn't want to let go.

"Draco, I—"

"Why didn't you tell me, Hermione?" Draco shifted his gaze to her, which made her very uncomfortable. 

Hermione stared at him and opened her mouth to reply. "I—I—"she stammered, looking away. "I was scared."

He blinked. 

"You wouldn't look at me twice if I weren't _the_ girl, would you?" Her eyes flashed with anger and hurt. "I was just any other girl to you until you found out that I was the _one_."

"Hermione, I—"

"What if I weren't the girl you were looking for? Would you still treat me in such a special way—"

"Yes."

Hermione blinked. Did she hear him right? "What do you mean, 'yes'?"

Draco stood up. "You know what I mean."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. _I must be dreaming,_ she thought, staring in Draco's eyes. She searched through them and found that he wasn't joking. 

Draco stepped closer to her. "You're more important than anyone else to me, I think," he whispered. 

"Why won't you give up on me?" she asked quietly, looking deep into his gray eyes. 

Draco took one more step and cupped her cheek. "I don't know," he replied, "but I think it's because—"

Hermione knew what was coming. "Because what? Because—"

And before she knew it, Draco had already leaned in and kissed her. 

****

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A/N: Ha! There! Finally… that was the end. I hope you liked it! I know it was kind of cheesy, but I tried my best! I'm thinking of making a sequel… we'll see. 

But for now, I'm going to concentrate on my other DM/HG fic, "While You Were Sleeping". I do hope you read that one and my other DM/HG fic, All For You". 

I told you I can't make an _amazing_ ending! It's not very, well, marvelous and breathtaking, is it? Eurgh…

So, I hope you review and please read my other stories! Thanks! Oh—and I'm serious about the sequel thing. What do you think? Tell me in your reviews! Thanks! 

I enjoyed writing this immensely, and I hope you truly enjoyed reading this piece! So, REVIEW!!

THANKS!!


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